Joe Zarella- Warrior of Women's Rights

     The first time I saw Joe Zarella was at my first powerlifting meet in Jan of 1973. I had never seen him but his name was often posted in Strength and Health and Muscular Development Magazines as a meet director for many of the first New England power meets. As I sat there in the hall of the Nashua YMCA, a place that would later become  historic for women's rights, I watched 3 teenagers sneak in without paying the mandatory $1.00 door charge. In seconds this massive 300 lb man came over dressed in a bright red sweat suit resembling a buffed up Santa Claus. He questioned the three,"Have you got a buck? Have you got a buck. Have you got a buck?" They all responded,"No", to which Joe answered,"Then get out of here! What do you think this is, a charity?" I was almost too frightened to lift. Little did I know that this man would become one of the best friends that I've ever had, the Godfather to my kids and a pioneer and champion of women's rights.

This story had originally been published in the newsletter of the Oldetime Barbell and Strongman in April of 2009 and on line in Powerlifting Watch.

Joe Zarella- Warrior of Women's Rights
By Peter Vuono

     The 1976 National AAU convention was held in Phoenix, Arizona. At attendance was Cindy Wyatt Reinhoudt who, in 1965, became the first woman to compete in a powerlifting meet of any kind. Reinhoudt, a gifted track athlete who was once mentored by the immortal Tommy Kono, requested that a women only meet be sanctioned by the AAU. Her request was summarily turned down by the male dominated governing body.
     Serendipitously sitting next to Cindy, however, was the pugnacious Joe Zarella, winner of the Silver Star for Bravery in the Battle of Okinawa. Zarella asked Cindy,"Are you going to take that?" To which Cindy answered,"What can I do/". No machine had been invented that would measure the contempt that Zarella had for bullies. He knew full well what to do.
     Being the New England Powerlifting Chairman, Joe received an NEAAU sanction for an idea of his which he would solely produce and pay for; the All American Women's Open Powerlifting Championships. This historic athletic milestone was held April 17,1977 at the Nashua NH YMCA on Prospect Street.It consisted of 27 women who were judged by international referees Joe Zarella and Denis Reno. The event was by no means a glorified local contest.
     Cindy Reinhoudt did more than test her might in receiving the outstanding lifter trophy for the heavier classes. Jan Todd lifted with a contingent from New Germany, Nova Scotia. Ohio's Stephanie Moody competed to make her the first African American woman to compete in a national weightlifting tournament of any kind. The much talked about Rebecca Joubert was present in addition to a wide assortment of talented athletes from all over the country. This, however, was not the end but only the beginning. When Terry Poston's comely photo appeared in Life Magazine of her competing at this event, women's powerlifting took off.
     In 1978, Zarella held the women's national championships on April 16th at Saint Stanislaus Hall in Nashua. Seventy-four lifters competed including a contingent brought from Australia by Roz Basile. Again, Cindy Reinhoudt won the outstanding lifter trophy for heavier classes and Jan Todd's record 453.25 deadlift marked the first time ever that a powerlift had been recorded for television.
     In 1979 sixty-eight athletes lifted at the historic Nashua "Y" over two days on May 19th and 20th. Ann Turbyne became the first woman to total 1000lbs. with an 1118.8 total and this was the first power meet to be televised in it's entirety with Olympian Donna DeVerona doing commentary for NBC Sports World.
      By this time, women started to get involved in bodybuilding and Olympic lifting contests of their own. It's hard to believe that the hirsute, 300lb Zarella would become a godfather of women's rights when he looked more adept for ursine grappling. However, a women's rights advocate is what he became in his final testament  for fostering equality for women.
     Again, Zarella sanctioned, produce and paid for the first Women's World Powerlifting Championships May3rd and 4th 1980 at the University of Lowell in Lowell, Ma. Eight countries were represented including Japan and Australia. NBC Sports World again covered the meet. A Who's Who of strength legends such as John Grimek and Bob Hoffman attended and it marked the first US appearance of strength legend, Bev Francis. Forty-nine women competed in what could not have happened if it were not for Joe Zarella's chivalrous response to Cindy Reinhoudt's intrepid plea for equal rights.
     In his brilliant account of the contest in Powerlifting USA Magazine, author Tony Fitton quotes Eugene Ware in saying,"All glory comes from daring to begin". Joe Zarella dared to begin and in doing so he gave women a venue to manifest their strength of body and soul to the world furthering their quest for equality much in the same way as the immortal Susan B. Anthony had done so many years before.
     Inside the commemorative program of the 1984 Women's World Powerlifting Championships there is a well deserved article on Cindy Reinhoudt. The article starts out by saying,"Though there is much discussion about who is the Godfather of Women's Powerlifting". This author contends that there is no discussion. The Godfather of Women's Powerlifting is Joseph Raymond Zarella.

"The key to immortality is by living a life worth remembering"- Bruce Lee