Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the late Jack LaLanne headline the inaugural class of the International Sports Hall of Fame.
The VIP event will take place March 3 in Columbus, OH, as part of the Arnold Sports Festival. LaLanne’s widow, Elaine LaLanne, will be on hand to accept the award on her husband’s behalf.
In addition to Schwarzenegger and LaLanne, who were friends for many years, the other four inductees are six-time Ms. Olympia Cory Everson, WWE World Champion Mark Henry, UFC World Champion Randy Couture and Chuck Wepner, the former boxer who provided the inspiration for the “Rocky” movies.
The emcee for the event will be Robert Goldman, founder and chairman of the International Sports Hall of Fame, a nonprofit foundation established to honor some of the world’s greatest athletes in all sports. Goldman plans to donate a bronze statue of Schwarzenegger to the city of Columbus prior to the Hall of Fame event. The statue is expected to be placed in front of the Veterans Memorial building in Columbus.
It will be a busy few months for Elaine LaLanne. On Feb. 26, she will present the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) Jack LaLanne Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Simmons at the CAHPERD conference in Pasadena, CA. In July, LaLanne will present the second annual Jack LaLanne Award to Jane Fonda during the opening ceremonies of the IDEA World Fitness Convention in San Diego.