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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1979)
P e te 10 Portland Observer Thursday. July B. 1079 FUNKY U» Baliuk So .sys the VA... T Sports Talk by Kon Sykes Sports Editor V MBta Christian stMcee a pose with M r Junior America third place trophy (Photo: Frank DeSantis) Mr. Olympia Christian's dream W inning trophy after trophy, M ike Christian is moving steadily towards his dream. Mike has just returned to Portland with the latest addition to his collec tion o f trophies. This one is the award for third place in “ Mr. Junior A m erica" which he picked up in June at the nationwide title competi tion held in Los Angeles at the Em bassy Auditorium. His dream is growing brighter as Mike inches nearer. He sees the dream now as being just a calculated number o f steps away. First he has to move from third place to first place in “ M r. Junior America.” Then he can go on to “ Mr. Universe.” Then on to the prize o f prizes— the coveted “ Mr. Olympia” title— the open sesame to fame and fortune After which he can turn professional and truly be in the big money. He’s got time, Mike has. He’ s only 24 this year, he’ s got the will, the drive, and some experience plus the encouragement o f his fa m ily . A coach who believes in him—a coach with skill and real know-how. Mike remembers how it was when he lived in Englewood, California, where he graduated from high school. He liked sports, but was not particularly outstanding as a player in any o f them. He had good height and a fa irly heavy bone struc ture— “ like my father” — he says. Mike observed that a friend his age had larger biceps and bigger arms than his own and learned that he could develop more muscle by lifting heavier and heavier objects. He learn ed that there was a right way to lift without injury to himself. After a while he could see the very gratifying results. He could make a muscle that gave him pride in himself. About this time his Portland rela tives urged him to come to Portland to live and he found his way to Matt Dishman Community Center here in Portland. First taste o f success came when, in 1976, he won two awards in a purely amateur competition in the gym nasium . He won firs t place among 22 com petitors fo r “ best arms” and first place for “ best chest." H is judges were a policem an, a c h iro p ra c to r, and a w ell-know n director o f a local health program. It was then that the whole thing became more interesting to Mike. The very next year M ike, con sistently worked out at the gym. He attracted special a tte n tio n from Chuck Amato, who once had been a second place w inner o f a “ M r. America” contest. Mike, with en couragement from Amato, entered the 1977 contest for Mr. Portland and emerged the winner, taking first place for “ best arms,” “ best chest” and "best back ” Amato told Mike that now it was time to work on the legs and he set about developing the legs to match the torso. Mike began to get into the whole idea o f muscle building; the diet and the genera! good health practices. Later that year he entered compe tition away from home. He went to Seattle and entered competition for ” 22-year-olds and under” and came home with trophies. Again they were for “ best arms” and “ best chest.” The legs were improving A trip to Englewood for competi tion netted second place for Mike among sixteen entrants for the title. He came away with a “ best arms” uophy again But the legs were better and bettei Ii. 1978, he won the “ M r. Rahway State Prison inmate James Scott, 175 pounds, upped his record to IS wins, one loss and one tie with a seventh round TK O o f Bunny Johnson, 176 pounds, from Birming ham, England. Johnson was unable to answer the bell after taking a bruising whipping culminated by a vicious left hook to the abdomen, which probably rocked his (Johnson’ s) relatives in England. Scott used a two-fisted attack in downing his foe, an attack reminis cent o f the old Gene Fullman style, bui much more polished. Scott, the inmate doing 45 years fo r armed robbery, is a beautifully conditioned athlete who does 1,000 situps daily and follow s a spartan tra in in g routine, will eventually win the light heavy title if given a chance. Most o f the excitement today ap pears to be in the welterweight and middleweight divisions. N orm ally this d istin ctio n is found only amongst the heayweights. But now, since the “ greatest" has apparently announced his retnement, the smaller guys are coming out enforce. The best boxers in the game today are Roberto Duran and the young Sugar Ray Leonard. These two are recognized as the best But remember the name Tommy Hearns. Hearns’ , 20, 6’ 1” , is a real good prospect. A f ter watching him destroy Currv, a good, good fighter, I would have to believe Hearns w ill have to be reckoned with. And at 6’ 1” will pose a big problem for either Duran, 5’6” , or Leonard, 5'10". Mary Decker, now residing in Eugene, set the American record for the mile last Sunday in a pre-Pan American game meet by running 4:23.5. She finished ahead o f former record holder Franck Larriey who had previously run 4:23.9 to set the old record. Ms. Decker’ s time is outstanding and one just has to wonder how many more years it w ill take before the women w ill break the fo u r minute barrier. It was 25 years ago that this accomplishment was finally achieved by a man. Fellow countrymen Chris Catha way and Chris Brasher were the rab bits in the race snd Bannister gave them much o f the credit for his out standing effort. Bannister’s fastest previous time was 4:02 for the race. A time high schoolers o f today easily reach. V M Xi'R E «PPL9IM& FOR vcteran ' s BENEFITS I MR FAlRftOOO* that ’ s R ieht . FlMFW ' THREE EEARb f CAFSTMRiA DuTV SHOULD BE WORTH SOM ETHING I C o n ta c t n e e re a t V A |« jh a o h y o u r p h o n a b o o k | « - « lo c a l y e t a r a n a g ’-m ap . . , UNION OR COMPANY DENTAL INSURANCE In fact it was May 7, 1954 that a young medical student from England shocked the world by running 3:59.4. Roger Bannister on that night ran a mile under four minutes to reach one o f mans hitherto unattainable goals. Running in England, Bannister did the last 400 meters in 58.9 to establish that memorable goal. Now some 25 years later the mile record has been lowered to a remark able 3:50.9 m ark. And who can forget the young Kansas schoolboy Jim Ryun who became the first high school runner to run under four minutes. Ryun, who had his share of success and disappointm ents was probably the best miler this country ever produced. is a valuable asset. . . your health and appearance COMPLETE COOPERATION ON A LL DENTAL INSURANCE CLAIM S WE HANDLE ALL THE DETAILS OF COMPLETING YOUR CLAIM FORMS I no appointment needed Come in at your convenience PARK FREE — Any Park n Shop Lot HOURS: Weekdays 8:30 a.m . to S p m. Bannister was running in a meet between O xford University and a British Amateur Athletic team, o f which he was a member. Bannister, it was reported, had trained hard for the meet in an effort to beat Wes Santee o f the U.S., who him self was closing in on the 4 minute mark. Saturdays 8 :3 0 a m. to 1 p.m. Dr. Jeffrey BRADY, Dentist S W 3R D ft Y A M H IL L S T.. P O R T L A N D . O R E G O N TA K E E LE V A TO R T O 2 N D FLOOR 3R D ST. E N T R A N C E L o o k f o r S u p e r S a v e r s SAFEWAY They M ark Extra In flation Fighting Savings . Prices Good Thura., July S thru Tuet., July 10 at all Portland Area Safeway Stores.. .Sales Limited to Retail Quantities Only M ika Christian Oregon” contest with a clean sweep o f "best arms,” “ best chest” and “ best back.” Currently Amato is readying his protege for more important contests. Mike is learning how to train eight weeks prior to a contest. The first half he uses for “ bulking up,” in creasing his food intake (heavy on the protein, breads, rich milk and ice cream), and by using maximum weights for lifting. The second half is spent reducing his diet sharply and lim iting Jus intake to meats, fish, vegetables and water. During this period he uses lighter weights. This accomplishes a definition and a cer tain separation o f the muscles that make them harder and more dense, he explains. In early June o f 1979, Mike won third place in Seattle’s “ Mr. North west” contest. From this Mike came away as “ Most Muscular Man.” He is now 24-years-old, an even 6’ tall, weighing 200 pounds; and shows no sign o f fat. His competition is now coming from men around the nation and the Phillipines. He is being carefully groomed in the art o f posing. He stands oiled to shining magnifi cence as he practices to music, mel low or dramatic, as his mood dic tates. Postures arc synchronized as he lifts his arms, bends the head, curves the back, or swivels the hip in a rhythmic way, reminiscent o f ballet or some other dance form. He likes to hear things by Earth, Wind and Fire and some from Heat Wave, but A nita Bell’ s King my B ell is his favorite cassette. A fte r w inning th ird in “ M r. Junior America” in California, Mike took a vacation in Hawaii. There he learned that not only is his picture appearing in the current issue o f Health and Strength, but his photo graph is also scheduled for an early issue o f the big macho magazine. Muscle Builder While in Hawaii, Mike had dinner w ith some o f the great names in muscle building Mike and his guest, dined with a former “ Mr America,” Boyer Coe; Ed Corning, known as the “ best poser” in the world; and w ith the great A rn o ld Schwar zenegger. Yes, Mike is definitely on his way. Cottage Cheese SntKe SAVE 62c Grapefruit 12-Pacfc Beer Vegetable Crisco 0 3 Burger Buns Bel-air Pizza Margarine VeOv Twbl* e---- -« 14k. B m H BEEF RIB STEAK TOMATOES 048' SCresI Toothpaste © Mandarin On ©Hash Browns ©Potato Salad leLeir freien Potctoe*.. 12-ei. pfcg. Uneme TeMe leedy 13-ei. Certen SAwrwÀY tM B Ih ! k
