April 22

UNITED NATIONS — Ambassadors from several countries, athletes and civil rights leaders joined Sri Chinmoy April 22 in a farewell to Jesse Owens in a moving ceremony at the United Nations.

The programme, sponsored by Sri Chinmoy Meditation at the United Nations, paid a final tribute to the athlete whose triumphs at the 1936 Berlin Olympics were a victory for all those the world over who stood against Hitler’s notions of Aryan supremacy.

Ambassador Rüdiger von Wechmar of the Federal Republic of Germany praised Owens not only for being a sportsman but also for “his convincing fellowship as a human being.”

U.S. Ambassador William vanden Heuvel said Owens “ran an extraordinary race, not only in Berlin, but in all the years of his life.”

Sri Chinmoy, a 55-year-old peace advocate, lifted and supported 7,063-¾ pounds with one hand on January 30, 1987. The dumbbell is the largest and heaviest in history. Chinmoy’s own weight that day was 162-¼ pounds. The spiritual teacher, who leads peace meditations at the United Nations in New York, lifts weights to demonstrate the power of inner peace gained through prayer and meditation and to inspire others to transcend their limitations. Just 10 days prior to the record Chinmoy had lifted 3,081 pounds. He started lifting on June 26, 1985 and at that time the most he could lift with one arm was 40 pounds. Chinmoy has ended his weight lifting and now taken up musical instruments. He hopes to be able to play 100 different instruments by the end of the year.