This is the story of Keith that I posted elsewhere. It belongs here, too. Keith and I chatted on the phone a week before he died.
Keith and I got to know each other through the History and Stories board on Getbig. I had posted stories about Ray Mentzer and Keith knew Ray well so we started communicating and I used to call him from time to time to chat and see how he was going. If you had accomplished things in the Irongame Keith respected you. If you did nothing and bs all day long like Goodrum did then you got plenty of stick from Keith. His feud with Goodrum is legendary and they both stepped over the line of civility there. For some reason Keith hated gay guys that bullshitted. I guess if they were black that made things worse. I know Keith had some sour business dealings with some black bodybuilders so maybe that didn't help. He sure gave better than he got on the forums and in retrospect Keith loved the give and take on Getbig. He was an expert on the computer and could do all manner of clever things such as vile photoshops of hapless Goodrum. Most of that stuff was just fun and passing time. Keith was a strongman and well respected in the gyms he ran or trained in. The dude bench pressed over 550 pounds. I can tell you few guys in my gym ever benched more than 400 pounds and no one has done 500. He also beat John Brzenk in arm wrestling and that guy was many times world arm wrestling champion. Keith rubbed shoulders with famous people and never bullshitted about this. Of course, on Getbig guys would make fun of Keith and his associations with actors and other famous people. The truth is Keith didn't exaggerate things and has photos to back up his claims.
Keith got bitten by a Brown Recluse Spider about 10 years ago and almost lost a leg because of it. He had major surgery and his recovery never really happened. He suffered setback after setback re his health so he was never able to train consistently after that mishap. He was in chronic, acute pain for a long time and one calf swelled to 32 inches. No one here can appreciate what he went through and the impact that bite had on his health and mind. He got depressed that he couldn't train and do the things he used to do. The inactivity also contributed to his gaining weight. He loved pastries and over a few years became what doctors would call morbidly obese. Those who are not obese have no idea how difficult it is to reverse that condition. Keith always felt he could change back to how he was but that never happened.
Keith became really fat and some say he weighed at least 500 pounds. I never mentioned his weight when we talked on the phone. According to what he wrote on the forums, Keith hated fat people and found them repulsive. So imagine how he felt about what he had become? The truth is he was ashamed of being so fat so ended up almost a hermit towards the end. Sometimes he would go to the casino and play games there. He sure wouldn't present at a gym and have people laugh at him. No way for No Worries. It is odd that he used 'No Worries' for a handle after 'Only Me' got put in time out. No worries is an Aussie expression meaning thank you or indicating you are okay with things.
Keith ran gyms in Hawaii so knew exactly how to lose weight and get fit. He was an expert in the real sense of the word. I found it laughable that novices would give him advice about what to do re his obesity. Keith knew what to do and was motivated to do it. Every time he started a program of walking and being active he got sick or ended up in hospital. Talk about discouraging. He made vows to the forum and his family and friends that he was going to be on Oprah as a success story. He loved his children and grand children and wanted to be around to see them grow up. He was clearly motivated to do something and regain his self-respect. He loved those Danish pastries! Perhaps he loved eating more than anything. As a strongman he could eat anything he liked and stay reasonably lean and look big and mean just walking around. All that changed when he got obese and he became a recluse because he hated being fat more than anything. Sadly, that is how he finished. He kept believing he would change and he never lost hope that one day he would bench press 500 pounds and show everyone he could do it. Damn, we lost a great guy in Keith. He would do anything for his mates and always liked to have fun. He was a good businessman and had many irons in the fire. He used to promote various contests in Hawaii and he brought champions over to Honolulu to guest pose and that sort of thing. Keith had connections and friends everywhere. Even when the gym in the sky fell through in Las Vegas he managed to make money via various ventures.
When you are somewhat immobile because of excess bodyweight you tend to not do much. So Keith would be on his computer and telephone a lot. He loved posting stuff on the net and interacting with nobodies who didn't believe his achievements in the past. Yes, Keith had a lot of memories and shared many with everyone on the boards. Sometimes that can be a blessing when times are tough. Anyway, no matter what Keith wanted to do his size and weight became a huge handicap to him and he literally couldn't accept that he was this fat guy. Not Keith Jones.
Keith told me a few things about his family and like most fathers you have ups and downs relating to your kids and vice versa. It was probably not a good thing that he moved to Las Vegas when he did. That separated him from his children and grand children. He had a business venture to open a MMA facility that Keith said would be the best fitness club in Las Vegas. He had a site, plans, a web site and was ready to go when things fell apart. His backers pulled out when the global financial crisis hit and he never did open that gym. I really have no idea how he made a living but he had some businesses that he was a partner in. He told me they owned a coffee label in Hawaii on one of the islands that was doing well and they just spent thousands on a new label for his coffee. He was wheeling and dealing all the time and boasted about making money so I guess he looked after himself.
Keith didn't have much education but he used his intelligence to interact with people and had a wide range of mates and friends. He could make websites for people so you can see he was self-taught in many areas and this reflects a high intelligence. We always agreed on things when talking on the phone. He was nobody's fool and didn't suffer fools but he sure liked to tease them!
I feel a personal loss because I talked to Keith on Jan 4th and he died on the 10th. My phone record shows I called him in Hawaii so that is why he said he had spent time with his family and friends.
