Inducted into the Weightlifting Hall of Fame: January 25, 2023
George Weatherford sent me this email retelling the story of the team going to compete in the Ozark Mountains Weightlifting Championships in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 29, 1966. While out-of-state, the Ark-La-Tex Region was hit by a massive ice storm causing us to have a very difficult time getting back to Lafayette. Although Pat Stewart had been a weightlifter for a while, this was the first time that he entered a bodybuilding contest. It was an interesting beginning of a successful bodybuilding story.
“We were in an ice storm! We had two cars but one’s radiator froze up. We decided to pull the car by attaching it with a large rope. I drove the car that pulled the disabled car for about 300 miles. No one wanted to ride in the disabled car because the frozen generator would not allow the heater to come on resulting in the car becoming a frozen ice box. Obviously, we were not used to driving on hilly roads that were covered in sheets of ice so at various times one or both of our vehicles was skidding to and fro. We could have been killed! Because we were the reigning national champions, and they were so excited to have us compete in their meet they also asked that some of us volunteer to be judges of the weightlifting and bodybuilding competitions. Not unexpectedly, we of course won the weightlifting competition and continued our undefeated streak. To make the relationship between the Cajuns and the Razorbacks even worse, we also persuaded Pat Stewart to enter their bodybuilding competition. He was competing against an Arkansas native who had recently won the title of Mr. Arkansas, so he was the odds-on favorite to easily capture the crown. Surprisingly, Stewart won that title also! Following the meet, we celebrated our smashing victories by getting drunk on beer and Big Bear wine and raised hell in the YMCA where we were sleeping.”
Pat was a member of the 1965 and 1966 National Collegiate Weightlifting Championship Teams. Additionally, he was an award-winning body builder, winning many titles including Mr. North America, Mr. Louisiana and Mr. New Orleans.
Later, he served the U.S. as a Drug Enforcement Officer and was given a purple heart and citation for valor for saving the life of his co-worker in California. He is retired and lives in Montana.
