Where it all began

On the eve of releasing the fifth volume of the Get Buffed! book sequel, I’m taking time out to remember where it all began.

I don’t expect many of you to remember the 1960s, and I expect even less of you to have a memory of the 1960s in an island in the Pacific Ocean.

What are the chances of crossing paths with a person in the 1960s on an island in the Pacific who would shape my journey in strength training and getting buffed?  But that is what happened and the impact in reflection is indisputable.

I can’t say for sure what my exact age was, but it was single digits, when I met Iwila Jacobs. Iwila was a young man – perhaps in his late teens, perhaps in his early 20s. I didn’t know, and didn’t care. He was learning how to service motor cars in a program running out of our yard offering technical training for indigenous men, and I would help out. This worker was different. He loved to flex his bicep and show me his guns. I have never seen this before. I had never met anyone who did strength training. He would also love to walk on his hands and generally show off his strength. Yes, the 1960s island version of a strong man. Not blowing up water bottles and other tricks that I learnt later were the go-to in the US I that decade, but he had my attention!

He took me under his wing and became my first strength coach.  I wrote about this in the original Get Buffed! book in 1999:

I first went into a gym in the 60’s, when I was about 7 years of age.  I had attached myself to the local strongman, an islander by the name of Iwila Jacobs.  He was my first mentor in what was an incredibly early-developed passion for physical preparation!  The gym was the Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea – or the Territory of Papua and New Guinea as it was more correctly known at that time) YMCA.  When I was ‘discovered’ by the staff they ‘kicked’ me out – too young, they claimed![1]

My first exposure to strength training was around the age of seven years, early for any child, even in the US during the 1960’s. I befriended an employee of the family named Iwila Jacobs. He was a local with a hearing and speech disability, but what he lacked there he had decided to make up physically. Although a small man, as a young boy I thought he was Superman.

He’d developed size and strength like I’d never seen before. He was the only strength-developed person I knew. He’d obviously been reading enough muscle mags to know what to do. He’d give me endless biceps flexes, and I came to be in awe of the physique he was able to build. He’d perform walking handstands along the grandstand of the local public swimming pool and he enjoyed the reputation as the local strongman.

Iwila took me into the only gym in town, the local YMCA. I lasted only a few weeks once they worked out my age — too young to train there apparently (and I thought political correctness only came in the last decade or so!). We retreated to an alternate venue. He knew some young men who lived in a local hostel, and they had the bench press/leg extension, single station does-all machine.

I can’t say I trained continuously from that age, but the seed was planted. I’d discovered strength, hypertrophy and weight training, but my focus was still on playing various sports. With no TV, I knew nothing about the Olympics; the greatest show on earth in my world being the South Pacific Games! [2]

My first exposure to strength training may have been the catalyst that led me to pursue answers to what is the best way to strength training and therefore where the book sequel about getting buffed originated.  In reflection, it was an experience that may have been more about a pre-ordained path than coincidence. What are the chances of a young boy growing up in the islands of Papua and New Guinea during the 1960s meeting a young man who was dedicated to strength training to be bigger and stronger?

Iwila’s journey in strength training was probably in it’s infancy when our paths crossed in the 1960s. He went on and dedicated his entire life to strength training, training athletes and the strength sports.

Iwila passed away in the 2020s, perhaps in his 70s.  I wanted to share observations from others about a life dedicated to what the path he set me off on, in an era well before it was trendy or mainstream.

The following eulogy about Iwila from the PNG Olympic Committee. [3]

PNG Mourns passing of Iwila Jacobs. The Papua New Guinea sporting fraternity mourns the passing of Iwila Jacobs. The Board and staff of the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee share shock, a deep sense of loss and sadness on his sudden passing.

 Selfless, epitomizing a humble dedicated volunteer serving at various times as an administrator, coach and referee in three (3) sports he built up over a span of five (5) decades since 1966 – Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Weightlifting. He was instrumental in establishing the National Federations of these three sports.

He was Honorary Life Member with the Papua New Guinea Weightlifting Federation; received three SP Sport Awards for Distinguish Services to Sport in 1992; Coach of the Year in 1993 and Technical Official of the year in 1997; awarded the Logohu Medal and the International Weightlifting Federation’s Distinguished Service Award of Merit Gold Star and National Honour Award Gold Medal.

Iwila competed as an athlete as part of Team PNG in the 1979 Suva South Pacific Games, the 1982 Commonwealth Games, and the 1983 Apia South Pacific Games.

He also competed in numerous Masters powerlifting events where he reigned as champion in the Australian National & Pacific Challenge 60kg Masters Category for 14 years until his retirement in 1999.

He was proactive in all facets of Powerlifting and Weightlifting and his career is splashed with his role as an Athlete, Coach, Referee and Judge, Trainer, Tournament Director, Team Manager and Administrator.

He coached weightlifting and powerlifting teams to Oceania and Commonwealth Championships, Pacific Games and to the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, United Kingdom.

He was also an accomplished Referee for Powerlifting and Weightlifting at the Pacific Games, Oceania and Commonwealth Championships.

He went beyond our shores, helping establish the Oceania Powerlifting Federation and a founding member of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation.

With the sport of Bodybuilding, Iwila started out as an athlete and went onto achieving accreditation as one of PNG’s first Bodybuilding Judge officiating at various regional events including the national championships and PNG Games. [4]

The above demonstrates the breadth and depth of his life in strength sports. He was one of those rare individuals who was involved in all three of the strength sports – weightlifting, powerlifting and bodybuilding – something perhaps more common back in the middle of the 20^th Century.

I believe I learnt more from Iwila than simply strength training. You can see from his story his positive and determined nature in the face of adversity.  Iwila was unable to hear and his speech was challenged.  He always found a way to communicate, doing his best with the limited speech he had, using writing, or just showing you. As a child I assumed he was born with this challenge, but I since learnt that his challenges were inflicted during his childhood.

While a Grade 4 child student, Iwila was physically and brutally attacked resulting in losing his hearing which in a turn of good fortune allowed him to get treatment in Australia, where he also attended Arthur Phillip High School in Parramatta, Australia. Most remember that he could only whisper when chatting. If he couldn’t say what he wanted to, he simply wrote it down. [5]

His positivity and determination to find a way were traits I realize in hindsight have been very valuable ones to model.

In hindsight, his life is testimony to the nation, to everyone, that he was, never was, despaired nor impeded by his hearing and speech challenges, but rather, one who rose above those and went on to lead a worthy life which we all celebrate now. [6]

Iwila also succeeded in turning his passion into employment. Just as I did in the 1980s, he found a way to share the lessons he learnt about training with others, transitioning from trainng buddy to coaching volunteer to professional coach.

Iwila was an employee of High Performance Sport PNG and Technical Adviser on the PNG Weightlifting Federation Executive at the time of his passing. [7]

Iwila’s achievements in all levels of the three sports – as an athlete, coach, judge and administrator are significant.  Not many will earn a eulogy like this:

PNG Olympic Committee describes Iwila’s passing as a tremendous loss to PNG sport and the nation. He was a great ambassador for Papua New Guinea. His pioneering and spirit of excellence advanced PNG’s success in the three sports he served Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Weightlifting. [8]

His involvement in the strength sports is somewhat of a mirror to what the Get Buffed! book sequel is – a combination of bodybuilding, powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting. Although I could not claim the level and extent of contribution he made

For the record, I had spelt his name in the way I remembered it – Iwela. I have since learnt that it was more commonly spelt Iwila.  I don’t think Iwila would have minded either way!

In the late 2000s I sent Iwila a care package of all Get Buffed! material I had published to date with a big thank you letter. I am not sure if it found its way to him, however I know he would have appreciated even the thought.

The spirt of Iwila – passion for strength training and an integrating of the three strength sports into training programs that can benefit everyone. And the encouragement to do strive for excellence whilst overcoming challenges.

His accomplishments are a testament to the enduring passion, commitment and determination to excel and achieve as an athlete and official. His path blazed a trail for all those who wanted to push their limits and excel and inspiring champions and generations to come.[9]

I hope, Iwila, that I have done justice to you and our time together in my writings over the years. I have sought to let anyone who reads my writings on strength training that it all began with you. Thank you Iwila!

References

[1] King, I., 1999, Get Buffed! 1 – Introduction

[2] King, I., 2004, Ian King’s Top 10 Lessons, t-mag, 20 Oct 2024

[3] http://www.pngolympic.org/uploads/documents/201218_PR_IwilaJacobsPassing_FINAL.pdf

[4] http://www.pngolympic.org/uploads/documents/201218_PR_IwilaJacobsPassing_FINAL.pdf

[5] http://www.pngolympic.org/uploads/documents/201218_PR_IwilaJacobsPassing_FINAL.pdf

[6] http://www.pngolympic.org/uploads/documents/201218_PR_IwilaJacobsPassing_FINAL.pdf

[7] http://www.pngolympic.org/uploads/documents/201218_PR_IwilaJacobsPassing_FINAL.pdf

[8] http://www.pngolympic.org/uploads/documents/201218_PR_IwilaJacobsPassing_FINAL.pdf

[9] http://www.pngolympic.org/uploads/documents/201218_PR_IwilaJacobsPassing_FINAL.pdf