Janice "Jan" Todd PHD Texas Strength and Power HoF inductee 2022

By Strength and Power Hall of Fame

Janice “Jan” Todd, Ph.D.

 

Jan is co-founder of the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports at the University of Texas, Austin. The H.J. Lutcher Stark Center contains thousands of original historical documents and publications for preservation and research. She is co-editor of Iron Game History and co-director of the Arnold Strongest Man Contest. Jan co-organized the 1^st women’s national powerlifting meet in 1977. Jan also helped draft the first rules to govern women’s powerlifting competition nationally and internationally. Jan set over 60 national and world records during her powerlifting career. She would also coach men's and women’s powerlifting World Championship Teams. Jan is a member of the Women’s Powerlifting Hall of Fame, the US National Fitness Hall of Fame, and the International Powerlifting Hall of Fame. Also, all the USPF men’s and women’s world championship teams coached by Jan won first-place team titles.

Jan started lifting in 1973 and began competing in powerlifting in 1975.

1975 Broke the Guinness record in the deadlift with 394.5 lbs.

1976 The first woman to exceed 400lbs in any powerlift with a deadlift of 412lbs.

1977 First place, All-American Women’s Open. It was the first sanctioned national meet for women.

1977 First woman to officially squat more than 400lbs.

1978: The first woman to total over 1,000 lbs on the power lifts.

1978: The first woman to total over 1,100 lbs on the power lifts.

1979 Lifted the highest total in the first IPF Women’s World Powerlifting Championships.

1979 First woman to lift the famous Dinnie Stones (780lbs) in Scotland.

1979 First woman elected to the USPF Executive Committee

1981 First woman to exceed 500 pounds in any powerlift 507lb squat.

1981 Established powerlifting world records in the heavyweight class of 545.5lb squat, 479lb deadlift, and 1229.5lb total.

1981 Coach of the USPF’s Men’s World Championships Team.

1981 The first woman was inducted into the International Powerlifting Federation Hall of Fame.

1982 First woman to total over 1200lbs on the powerlifts.

1982: The first athlete established a world record in the newly formed American Drug-Free Powerlifting Association 446lb deadlift as a 148er.

1983 World record deadlift of 474.5lbs at 146lbs Body weight.

1984 1^st American Drug-Free National Powerlifting Championships.

1984 American record deadlift of 463.5lbs at 163lbs bodyweight.

1984 Coach of the USPF’s Men’s World Championships Team

1984 Coach of the USPF’s Women’s World Championships Team

1991 Coach of the USPF’s Women’s World Championship Team

1996 American masters record in the deadlift of 425lbs ADFPA.

 

 

 

Most of the information for this bio was obtained from Jan’s 2004 Women’s Powerlifting Hall of Fame bio.

Author: By Strength and Power Hall of Fame Completed: yes Created: Wed Sep 28 20:01:56 UTC 2022 | Last Updated: Tue Dec 26 17:14:27 UTC 2023