Jon Pritikin

Jon Pritikin (born February 26, 1973) is an American strongman and motivational speaker.

Jon Pritikin
A photo of Jon Pritikin rolling a frying pan in Osaka, Japan.
Born
Jonathan Andrew Pritikin

(1973-02-26) February 26, 1973
Rockford, Illinois, United States
NationalityAmerican
Other names"JP"
OccupationMotivational Speaker
Years active1994–present
Known for2x Guinness World Record holder
Height6 ft 4 in (1.9m)
SpouseRhonda (m. 1995)
Children1
Websitewww.jonpritikin.com

Early life and education

Pritikin was born in Rockford, Illinois to a Jewish family, Andrew and Nancy (née Kunz) Pritikin.

Pritikin had speech and learning disabilities as a child.[1] Placed in special education in first grade, he was bullied[2] and abused by schoolmates and neighborhood children, and has said he had no friends.[3]

In high school, a teacher worked with him on his speech impediment and academic problems, and he was accepted on academic probation to Bethany University in Scotts Valley, California.[4]

Career

In 1994, Pritikin co-founded a nonprofit organization, Feel The Power,[5] which produces an anti-bullying assembly for elementary, middle, and high school students. The assembly consists of motivational speaking and a presentation of Pritikin's physical strength through various strongman exercises. His message focuses on the long term effects of bullying and the importance of accepting others. In 2008, Pritikin became involved in an anti-steroid program known as S.W.A.T.S., which is an acronym for Sports With Alternatives to Steroids.[6] As of 2021, Pritikin has spoken to more than 10 million students in 60 nations. In October 2021, Pritikin released his first book titled Feel The Power: A Survivor's Guide to Happiness.

World records

Pritikin broke and set two Guinness World Records for "the tightest circumference of two aluminum frying pans rolled together with his bare hands in less than 30 seconds.”[7] The frying pans were 30 cm (12 in) and he broke the record at Rectory Road Park in Sittingbourne, Kent, UK on July 11, 2007.[4][8]

Personal life

Pritikin met his wife Rhonda (née Garcia) when they were both students at Bethany University; they married in 1995.[9] They live in California and have one child.

References
  1. Socha, Evamarie (December 3, 2010). "Open eyes and minds". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  2. Moore, Mike (April 19, 2010). "Strength from within: Speaker shows off physical prowess, urges another kind". The Journal Times. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  3. "Strength comes in many packages, students told". The Carmi Times. February 15, 2011. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  4. Niederberger, Mary (October 9, 2008). "Strongman urges end to bullying in schools". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  5. Urban, Kelly (September 2, 2009). "Bodybuilder urges kids to build character". The Tribune Democrat. Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  6. "Testimonials". Antisteroidprogram.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  7. World record holder shares strength with Merced kids at Merced Sun Star; published June 29, 2016; retrieved August 22, 2021
  8. Turnbull, Jessica (November 19, 2009). "Guinness record-holder tells students to be strong against bullies". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on November 27, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  9. Brian DeNeal (February 4, 2011). "Jon Pritikin to bring anti-bullying message to area schools". The Daily Register. Harrisburg, Illinois. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.