No.48 September 2006 |
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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”. |