Fitness pioneer Betty Weider was inducted into the into the International Sports Hall of Fame last month along with Dan Gable, Lee Hany, Cynthia Rothrock and Jason Statham.
The induction ceremony took place during the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, and Muscle & Fitness Executive Editor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a memorable speech to honor all the inductees.
“She is very humble,” says Arnold of Betty in his speech below. “But let me tell you something. I have seen it firsthand. Joe Weider got to a certain place, and it was a powerful place, and he did extraordinary work to make bodybuilding popular and to publish all those magazines and to promote them around the world. So did Ben (Weider), creating the Federation and getting it in all those different countries and so on. But when Betty Weider came into the game, and convinced Joe to have Shape magazine and to put more women’s stuff into the magazine, that is when the business really took off.”
Arnold goes on to talk about the crucial role that Betty played in the success of the Weider corporation (he even does an impression of Joe Weider, check it out). He also highlights her crucial role in inspiring the Weiders to bring their passion for fitness and working out not only “to the guys how want to lift 500 pounds” as Arnold says, “but to the guy who just wants to stay in shape.”
Above all, Arnold highlights the incredible leadership role Betty played in the Weider family’s contribution to creating fitness magazines for women and to advancing the fitness crusade of inspiring people to work out and take care of themselves.
He also reminisces about doing photo shoots with Betty, and reminds all present that in one shoot on the beach, his bicep was one inch bigger than Betty’s waist! Arnold talks about Betty round the six-minute mark in the speech below.
