AT the age of 65, body builder Billy Knight is still going strong.
Last month Knight participated at the National Amateur Body-Builders’ Association (NABBA) International 2015 Universe Bodybuilding Championship in Cebu, Philippines.
He competed in the grandmasters over-65 years category, and finished as first runner-up.
This is after taking up the sport again after a lapse of 29 years.
Knight who hails from the Lau Group, migrated to Australia in the early 1970s.
He is one of only three bodybuilders who have won the Mr Australia title three years in a row. Knight held the title from 1980 to 1982, Vic Vella from 1960 to 1962 and Carlo Zumbo from 1968 to 1970.
In an interview with the Queensland Times earlier this month, Knight said one of his greatest achievements was to win three consecutive Mr Australia titles.
“It’s good to stay in shape and I want to encourage people my age.
“If I can do it, you can,” he stated.
Knight said his health became more of a priority after he suffered a heart attack eight years ago.
He trains daily at the Lifestyle Redbank Plains gymnasium.
In an email sent to this newspaper, Knight said he was fortunate enough to have been trained by Bill Pearl, a five-time Mr Universe winner.
“I’m now retired and enjoy a quiet life in Brisbane with my wife Irene,” he said.
Knight has three children Nathan, Natalie and Corey, five grandsons and a granddaughter.
In addition to body building, Knight was a professional boxer.
In 1975, he beat Shane Patrick the Australian middleweight champion ranked in the Commonwealth top 10 Junior middleweight division in a non-title fight at the South Sydney Juniors Leagues Club by points over 10 rounds.
In 1976 he was rated number six in the middleweight division in Australia.
In the current boxrec rating for the top 100 middleweight boxers from Fiji, he is rated number 14.
His lifetime achievements are worthy of remembrance as Knight won body building titles that have been hard to emulate. His road to fame first began by winning Mr Fiji Junior in 1970, then a breathtaking array of awards as follows:
* 1980 Overall Mr NSW
* 1980 Overall Mr South Pacific and Couples Champions with Carole Bennett
* 1980 Overall Mr Australia
* 1980 IFBB Mr Universe, Middleweight, 8th place (for Fiji)
* 1981 Overall Mr South Pacific and Couples Champions with Gail Laurie
* 1981 Overall Mr Australia and also Couples Champions with Beth Lopez
* 1981 Silver Medallist in the inaugural World Games in San Jose, California
* 1982 Overall Mr Australia and Couples Champions with Beth Lopez and winning the first and only prestigious “Body Builder of the Year Award”.
* 1983 4th Short Class NABBA Mr Universe.
* 1985 and 1986 Mr Australia, Height Class only
* 2015 1st Runner up – Grandmasters Over 65 – NABBA International
* 2015 Joe Weider’s Olympia Amateur Australia – Masters Over 50 finalist
Community recognition over the years has been:
* 1997 – Nominated for a Brisbane Electorate Australian Day Award
* 2001 – Australian Sports Medal
* 2001 – Nominated for the National Centenary of Federation People Scape Project
* 2003 – Nominated for the Australian Local Heroes Award.
