Father of Fitness

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY FROM THE PIONEER OF THE INDUSTRY

AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF ONE MAN'S ASTONISHING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL STRENGTH

This is a story of one man's struggle to forge a business out of a hobby and how the business grew and became an industry. Starting with a blank sheet of paper in 1968, this industry is now worth billions.

Somewhere along the journey I picked up the title 'Father of the Fitness Industry.' My pioneering instincts saw me building the most successful health club of its time: the forerunner of a modern day culture. The reader will join me on that journey and share some staggering adventures. The solo run world record attempt from John O'Groats to Lands End covering over seventy miles a day and filmed in its entirety by the BBC's Forty Minutes programme, in which I was tagged the multi-marathon man.

My 50th birthday was celebrated with running fifty miles, lifting 50,000 lbs in a series of exercises in fifty minutes, playing five world class athletes at squash and ending the day with five hundred sit-ups. The journey took me to five world championships, twenty-six marathons, running 127 miles in one day and climbing the Swiss Alps at 75 years of age.

The reader will learn about motivation, the psychology of success, and how we became the darlings of the industry, training future fitness instructors through our National Training Company's government qualification.

I picked up three Lifetime Achievement Awards and the government's National Training Award. I was a co-founder of the Fitness Industry Association that became the second biggest of its kind in the world. I wrote the NVQ for the industry lead body and was also a judge at the Mr Universe Contest for fifteen years.

Come along and meet Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jonah Barrington, Nat Lofthouse, Roger Hunt, Gordon Taylor, the world's strong man Geoff Capes, Darth Vader and many more, on a roller coaster turbo jet journey with the Father of Fitness.

"Ken's mental and physical strength is awesome, but it is his philosophy on what makes the human mind and body, that sets him apart from most fitness gurus."- Robin McGibbon - Best selling author

"Heathcote's leadership started a fashion that became a phenomena. He inspired millions." - Paul Fletcher MBE - Founder Partner at StadiArena

"A very dedicated professional. A speaker for all ages. He has a lot to give and there is a lot to learn." - Sam Allardyce - Football Manager at West Ham United