Happy 80th Birthday to Fitness Industry Legend John McCarthy
Posted: December 23, 2016 in IHRSA
John McCarthy
By: IHRSA’s Kristen Walsh
December 23, 2016 is a special day for our industry. Believe it or not, John McCarthy turns 80 years young today!
John is, of course, the former Executive Director of IHRSA. He was one of a group of individuals that contributed to the launching of IHRSA in 1981. A former tennis club Owner and Director of the New England Indoor Tennis Association, John was named the first Executive Director of IHRSA and served in that position until 2006. During his 25 years of leadership, he was responsible for establishing IHRSA as the largest trade association in the global health club industry. Since his retirement, John has remained very active in the industry, most notably with Augie’s Quest, the initiative to raise money in the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Two of IHRSA’s most prestigious awards are named after John, including the John McCarthy Industry Visionary Award, which is given to an individual or company who has made an unprecedented or unique contribution to the advancement of the industry as a whole, and the John McCarthy Merit Scholarship, which is given to someone with a demonstrated passion for, and absolute commitment to, the industry’s future.
We are lucky to have many of John’s pearls of wisdom preserved in IHRSA publications, such as The IHRSA Health Club Business Handbook and How to Prevail in Competitive Markets.
Today, in honor of John’s birthday, IHRSA members can download a complimentary PDF of Best of John McCarthy: Thoughts on Industry Growth, Competition, and the Club Business. (Please contact store@ihrsa.org if you need assistance with your IHRSA Store member login.)
