Mike O’Hearn recounts being luckily enough to meet Joe Weider.
Joe Weider is the godfather of bodybuilding and a much beloved icon in the sport. Hardly a negative word is said about him and those who got to spend time with him always speak fondly of his personality, hard work, and passion for bodybuilding. Many believe that after Weider’s passing, the sport of bodybuilding changed forever. Mike O’Hearn was surprisingly lucky enough to meet Weider and gain a contract before his passing. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Mike O’Hearn tells stories of his time working with Joe Weider.
It might come a surprise to some that Mike O’Hearn actually knew Joe Weider before his passing. Not only that, but O’Hearn was lucky enough to get a Weider contract in his early years of bodybuilding. In our sitdown interview with O’Hearn, we asked him to reflect back on that time and share some stories of how he met Weider and what it was like to work with the godfather of the sport.
Of course, Mike O’Hearn’s stories of Joe Weider match up with everything we have already heard. He was a true unique personality. A person who lived and breathed bodybuilding. A man who brought life into the sport and every athlete he discovered. Joe Weider had something that can’t be taught. He had an eye for true talent – and in his later life turned his eye towards Mike O’Hearn.
O’Hearn’s story seems similar to many we’ve heard from other bodybuilding legends. There was no rigorous application process to become a Wieder athlete. Joe Weider simply went with his gut. He saw O’Hearn, gave him a call, and suddenly there were photoshoots happening. Like the snap of a finger, Weider knew that Mike O’Hearn had what it took to be on magazine covers.
For many of us in the bodybuilding industry today, we sadly didn’t have the opportunity to live in the Joe Weider era of bodybuilding. That’s why stories like Mike O’Hearn’s are wonderful to indulge in. These oral histories of one of the most important men in bodybuilding are the closest we can get to remembering the shining light of his legacy.
You can check out Mike O’Hearn’s stories of Joe Weider in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
