Jim Morris (August 31, 1935 – January 28, 2016) was an American

bodybuilder Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic ...

known for winning competitions over a thirty-year career. Among the titles Morris won are: Mr. USA (1972),

AAU Mr. America The Mr. America contest is a bodybuilding competition started by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). It was first held on July 4, 1939, and the winner was named "America's Best Built Man". In 1940 this was changed to what is now known as the Mr. ...

(1973),

Mr. International Mister International is an international male beauty pageant that the Mister International Organization runs since 2006. It was Singapore-based, owned, and organized by its former president and late founder Alan Sim. Following Sim's death, two ...

(1974), and

Mr. Olympia Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest in the open division at Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually and is sanct ...

Masters Over 60 (1996). At age 50, he became a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

and over 15 years transitioned to

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

, a diet to which he credited much of his excellent health. He posed nude for a

PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...

ad in support of the vegan lifestyle. Morris, who still trained regularly as of 2011, had been bodybuilding since September 1954. From 1974 to 1988, he was

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

's personal bodyguard. He was openly gay. In 1971, he became the first openly gay IFBB professional bodybuilder. In 1973 he became the first openly gay bodybuilder to win

overall, most muscular, best arms, and best chest titles. In March 2014, a short documentary-film starring Jim Morris titled ''Jim Morris: Lifelong Fitness'' was released on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. The film focuses on his lifelong body building career, vegan lifestyle and Morris' yearning to break stereotypes attached to the elderly. Morris died on January 28, 2016, at the age of 80.

Competition history

* 1959 AAU Mr. New York Metropolitan – 3rd * 1967 AAU Junior Mr. America – 8th * 1967 AAU Junior Mr. USA – 1st * 1967 AAU Mr. New York Metropolitan – 1st * 1967 AAU Mr. New York State – 1st * 1967 AAU Mr. USA – AAU – 9th * 1968 AAU Mr. America – 10th * 1969 AAU Junior Mr. America – 5th * 1970 AAU Mr. America – 8th (most muscular) * 1970 AAU Mr. America – 7th * 1970 AAU Mr. California – 1st (overall and most muscular) * 1970 AAU Mr. Los Angeles – 1st * 1971 IFBB Mr. International – 2nd (tall) * 1972 AAU Mr. America – 3rd (most muscular) * 1972 AAU Mr. USA – 1st (most muscular) * 1973 AAU Mr. America – 1st (most muscular) * 1974 WBBG Mr. International – 1st (tall) * 1977 NABBA Mr. Universe – 1st (tall) * 1996 IFBB Masters Olympia – 1st (masters 60+) * 1996 IFBB Masters Olympia – 10thJim Morris
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References

External links

''10 Keys to a World-Record Bench Press''

* ttps://veganliftz.com/ ''Vegan Bodybuilding'' 1935 births 2016 deaths American male bodybuilders African-American bodybuilders African-American LGBTQ people American gay sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen American veganism activists LGBTQ bodybuilders People associated with physical culture 20th-century African-American sportsmen {{US-bodybuilding-bio-stub