2017 Hall of fame – ISHOF | International Sports Hall of Fame

2017 Hall of Fame Inductees

LOU FERRIGNO

Louis Jude “Lou” Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer, fitness consultant and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary ‘Pumping Iron’. As an actor, he is best known for his title role in the CBS television series The Incredible Hulk and vocally reprising the role in subsequent animated and computer-generated incarnations. He has also appeared in European-produced fantasy-adventures such as Sinbad of the Seven Seas and Hercules, and as himself in the sitcom The King of Queens and the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man.

BILL KAZMAIER

William ‘Bill’ Kazmaier is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During the 1970s and 1980s, he set numerous powerlifting and strongman world records, and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships and three World’s Strongest Man titles. In the 1980s, Kazmaier became famous for his claim to be “the strongest man who ever lived” by equaling and surpassing spectacular and versatile feats of strength of famous strongmen of the 20th century. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions.

At the 1978 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Championships in Los Angeles, California, Kazmaier squatted 782 lbs, bench pressed 534 lbs, and deadlifted 804 lbs in the 275-pound weight class, which immediately placed him in the top rank in his first national powerlifting appearance. In 1979 at age 25, he set a world record…

Dr. THOMAS ROSANDICH

Dr. Rosandich has had a long and storied career in the profession of sport dating to the early 1950s. During this time, he embarked up a career as a coach in football and track and field, an avocation that eventually had him named to the Helms Track and Field Hall of Fame. As a sports administrator, he has served as an athletic director within the University of Wisconsin system and then as President of the United States Sports Academy for more than 43 years. A highly regarded track coach, his athletes included numerous Olympic and world record holders. Among these were Bob Mathias, Olympic Champion and world-record holder decathlete, Josh Culbreath, world record holder in the 400 meter hurdles, Al Cantello, in the javelin and Bob Gutowski, in the pole vault. Gutkowski the first in a succession of four world record holders in the pole vault, a group that included John Uleses who was the first person to go over 16 feet.

APOLO OHNO

Apolo Anton Ohno is an American short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medalist (two gold, two silver, four bronze) in the Winter Olympics. Ohno began training full-time in 1996. He has been the face of short track in the United States since winning his medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics. At the age of 14, he became the youngest U.S. national champion in 1997 and was the reigning champion from 2001–2009, winning the title a total of 12 times. In December 1999, he became the youngest skater to win a World Cup event title, and became the first American to win a World Cup overall title in 2001, which he won again in 2003 and 2005. He won his first overall World Championship title at the 2008 championships.

HERSCHEL WALKER

Herschel Walker is a former professional American football player, bobsledder, s printer and mixed martial artist. He played college football for the University of Georgia, earned consensus All-American honors three times and won the 1982 Heisman Trophy. Walker began his professional football career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL), before joining the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In the NFL, he also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. Walker, as running back, was the most sought after high school football player in the nation. Walker helped his Georgia Bulldogs complete a 12–0 record as the Associated Press voted the University of Georgia No. 1 with 58½ first place votes to Pittsburgh’s 3½. Walker and his teammates were also voted No. 1 by the United Press International Poll …