Jeff Parsons

In 2003 my son Nic was 16 years of age and asked if he could learn to lift weights. Nic is legally blind and thus his ability to engage in and enjoy sports is limited.

While Nic had excelled in swimming and athletics for athletes who are blind, he wanted to test himself in competition against able-bodied competitors. I asked around for the best weights coach and Joe was recommended to me.

With Joe’s obvious warmth and humour, Nic loved learning with Joe from lesson one. Joe’s enthusiasm and expertise inspired an already determined Nic. Later in 2003, under Joe’s care, Nic took the Australian deadlift record from 140 kgs to 200kgs, for under 18 year olds - 75 kgs. The record still stands today.

Joe was most interested in Nic as a person and as a weightlifter second. He insisted that Nic set his priorities as family, schoolwork and then weights only after the first two priorities were met. Joe encouraged Nic to approach life the same as he taught Nic to approach weightlifting; no limits, establish your own goals, work hard on perfecting technique and most importantly, “no excuses”.

Joe’s work with Nic was timely and contributed significantly to Nic developing into a young person who continues to work hard and achieve highly. Nic is now 23 and in his 4th year of a 6 year Law and Asian Studies Specialist double degree at ANU.

Despite his blindness, Nic allows himself “no excuses” and is achieving a High Distinction average and has won several academic prizes. Nic travels overseas regularly and has lived on his own in Indonesia for 12 months while he attended lectures given in the Indonesian language on Indonesian law at a university in Yogjakarta.

Joe’s outstanding personal qualities and Joe’s attitudes towards training builds strong characters as much as it builds strong bodies.

Jeff Parsons