Jon Pritikin

Jon Pritikin (born February 26, 1973) is an American strongman and motivational speaker.

Jonathan Andrew Pritikin
Born (1973-02-26) February 26, 1973
Rockford, Illinois, United States
NationalityAmerican
OccupationMotivational Speaker
Spouse(s)Rhonda
Children1
Websitewww.feelthepower.org

Early life and education

Pritikin, born in Rockford, Illinois to a Jewish family, had speech and learning disabilities as a child.[1] Placed in special education in first grade, he was bullied[2] and abused by schoolmates and neighborhood children, and has said he had no friends.[3]

In high school, a teacher worked with him on his speech impediment and academic problems, and he was finally accepted on academic probation to Bethany University in Scotts Valley, California.[4]

Career

Since graduating, he has shared his anti-bullying message in the United States and around the world. He uses feats of strength as a tool to grab people's attention; he is the Guinness record holder for "the tightest circumference of two aluminum frying pans rolled together with his bare hands in less than 30 seconds".[4][5] In 1994 he started a non-profit organization, Feel the Power.[6] Since then he has spoken to more than 3 million people.[5]

Pritikin is also involved in an anti-steroid program known as S.W.A.T.S., which is an acronym for Sports With Alternatives to Steroids.[7]

Personal life

He and his wife Rhonda and their daughter Jaden live in Lodi, California.[8]

References
  1. Socha, Evamarie (December 3, 2010). "Open eyes and minds". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  2. Moore, Mike (April 19, 2010). "Strength from within: Speaker shows off physical prowess, urges another kind". The Journal Times. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  3. "Strength comes in many packages, students told". The Carmi Times. February 15, 2011. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  4. Niederberger, Mary (October 9, 2008). "Strongman urges end to bullying in schools". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  5. Turnbull, Jessica (November 19, 2009). "Guinness record-holder tells students to be strong against bullies". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on November 27, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  6. Urban, Kelly (September 2, 2009). "Bodybuilder urges kids to build character". The Tribune Democrat. Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  7. "Testimonials". Antisteroidprogram.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  8. Brian DeNeal (February 4, 2011). "Jon Pritikin to bring anti-bullying message to area schools". The Daily Register. Harrisburg, Illinois. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.