I recently began reading Edmund Morris’s biography of Theodore Roosevelt and I am really enjoying it so far.

One part I found particularly interesting so far was about his Father’s encouragement to build his body... 1/4

#fitness #history #roosevelt #TR

Around age 12, his Dad called for him & said:

“Theodore, you have the mind but you have not the body, and without the help of the body the mind cannot go as far as it should. You must *make* your body. It is hard drudgery to make one’s body, but I know you will do it.” ... 2/4

At the time, young Theodore had battled with sickness from a young age and was thin and underdeveloped.

With the encouragement of his Father, young Teddy began making daily visits to the gym. At home, his Father decked out a floor of their home with athletic equipment... 3/4

Later in life, Roosevelt would be well known for his strength, and specifically his massive chest. His boxing sparring partner said of him, “Theodore Roosevelt is a strong, tough man; hard to hurt and harder to stop.” 4/4