ICSSPE News
No.48
September 2006
 
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TAFISA Honorary President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Palm has passed away
Obituary written by Wolfgang Baumann


The international Sport for All family and those who have been influenced by his world changing career in Sport for All, physical activity and health, are mourning the sudden death of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Palm. He was the founding and long serving President of TAFISA and since 2005, its first Honorary President. At the age of 71, he died on August 16 in Grand Springs, Michigan, USA from a heart attack. He was on a vacation with his wife Diane.
His contribution to mankind has been invaluable. Through his initiatives and work in Sport for All, he has changed the face of modern sport worldwide and due to his efforts, millions of people all over the world have adopted a healthy and active life style. Just recently, he was the first European to be awarded the American Dwight Eisenhower Fitness Award.
Dr. Rhee, President of TAFISA, said that the remarkable work of Jürgen Palm will last and remain alive for future generations. He successfully bridged the gap between theory and practice of Sport for All.
It was on his initiative that in 1991, TAFISA was founded. Under his presidency, TAFISA developed dramatically to become the world’s leading Sport for All organization. In 2005, he was elected Honorary President of TAFISA. In his new position, he continued to give strong support to the organization and was appointed chief editor of the new TAFISA Magazine.
In his professional career, Jürgen Palm was the Executive Director of the German Sports Federation for nearly 40 years. As the father of the “Trim Movement” his achievements for the German Sport for All development have been unsurpassed. He was highly respected not only in the field of sports but also culture, politics and public health both nationally and internationally. For his contribution to society, he was awarded the Order of the Federal Republic of Germany.
After his retirement in 1998, he continued to be an active and passionate pursuer of the Sport for All idea as a volunteer and held many functions nationally and internationally.
The TAFISA Board of Directors and the whole TAFISA and Sport for All family worldwide is saddened to lose such a loyal and committed friend. We will miss him but not forget him! May the sorrow of his passing soon be replaced by the peace and comfort of his memory.
To keep his name and legacy alive, the TAFISA Board, in consultation with his family, has decided to launch the “Jürgen Palm International Sport for All Foundation”.


Wolfgang Baumann
Secretary General TAFISA




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