Review Fix chats with Tommy Kono The Life of America’s Greatest Weightlifter author John D. Fair to find out about what inspired the book and more.
About the Book:
In a career spanning three decades, weightlifter Tommy Kono won three Olympic medals and eight world championships, captured 11 U.S. national and three Pan-American titles, and set 26 world records–all before the advent of steroids. A Nisei American, Kono was interned at Tule Lake, California, during World War II. Weighing only 105 pounds at age 14 and suffering from asthma, he began competing at a time of heightened racial and political prejudice against Asians, and in an era predating modern coaching techniques, nutritional aids and training facilities. This definitive biography covers the life and career of an exceptional athlete who defied disadvantage and achieved international renown.
About John D. Fair:
John D. Fair is a retired professor of history from Auburn University and Georgia College, and currently an adjunct professor of kinesiology at the Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports at the University of Texas, Austin. He is the author of eight books.
Review Fix: How did you get interested in this topic?
John D. Fair: I was skinny and weak and never played sports until I started weight training as a high school senior and was inspired by the feats of Tommy Kono that I read about in Strength & Health.
Review Fix: What was the research process like?
Fair: Surprisingly easy. I had a lot of the primary sources in my own collection, and most persons I interviewed were cooperative and well informed.
Review Fix: What did you learn that you weren’t expecting?
Fair: Two things: The unique source of Tommy’s extraordinary strength and the unusual circumstances surrounding his death.
Review Fix: Who were your best sources on this?
Fair: Dr. Richard You and Tommy’s family.
Review Fix: What’s your favorite story/element in the book?
Fair: The manner in which Walter Imahara dealt with racial prejudice.
Review Fix: What’s the tone of the book?
Fair: It’s a combination of triumph and tragedy, but overall it is an uplifting story of an American hero who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds.
Review Fix: Who will enjoy it the most?
Fair: Iron game buffs, Asian-Americans, Hawaiians, and general readers.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Fair: I’ve got a lot of stuff in the pipeline, including an anthology entitled “The Essence of Strength” which should appear in a few months with MacFarland Press. I’m currently working on an article tentatively titled “The Tragic History of the Bench Press.”
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