USAWA

The last three awards to be highlighted are the three lifters chosen in 2025 for induction into the USAWA Hall of Fame. The first is Mr. John Carter of Columbia, MO and Clark’s Gym. The Hall of Fame nomination form would demonstrate that someone should be a person who not only excels as a lifter but also participates in furthering the health and vitality of the USAWA. This can be done in many ways. Although John gained more than the achievements needed for induction, there are certain intangibles that would also support his accomplishments in promoting the USAWA, his leadership qualities, as well as his toughness as a competitor.

                As one of three who founded the Clark’s team in the late 1980s (along with Joe Garcia and Bill Clark), John has been a consistent presence in the gym through the years. During the early days, he was instrumental in the physical support of the gym, especially through some of the moves that brought us to our current location. Today, John has become an elder statesman and mentor to the new cadre of lifters that have joined Clark’s Gym post-Covid. As a teacher of lifting techniques and styles, he’s thorough and patient. Many of us seek out his advice and have come to adopt his energetic style in pushing ourselves to lift better.

                As a competitor, he’s demonstrated his ability to finish in the top positions when he attends meets. During the 1990s, he won four straight heavy lift championships. When he’s been to Nationals, he is consistently a top 10 finisher. Even today, he can still win meets such as the Zercher Classic, the Goerner Deadlift Dozen, or the Steve Schmidt Backbreaker Pentathlon, as he has all along, when he’s able to attend. He routinely finishes high in the quarterlies and the postals. This is in spite of some injuries that limit mobility today. He holds over 150 USAWA records even while competing with Hall of Famers like Steve Schmidt and Joe Garcia in the early days. He even proposed a lift that bears his name and is a real challenge to complete.

                In his personal life, John is small businessman / independent contractor in a business that requires one to work when hired and when the weather is favorable. This means that at times he is not able to compete as work needs to come first to keep his business going strong. When he is in the gym, the Clark’s Gym team values his presence, and the team voted enthusiastically for him to win the 2025 USAWA Courage Award winner. John has, in many ways since the beginning, been a contributor to the health and vitality of the Clark’s Gym team. In the last six years especially, he’s promoted the USAWA through his leadership and support for the next generation of Clark’s Gym team by making it a welcoming place to belong. History has shown he is a very tough competitor in any meet he competes in regularly. Congratulations John Carter as a 2025 USAWA Hall of Fame Inductee and 2025 Courage Award Winner.