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Former Weightlifting champion ‘Joey’ France passes on
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur Sports – George “Joey” France, a former champion in bodybuilding and weightlifting, passed away on October 5th 2023, in the USA at the age of 86.
He leaves behind his wife Lynette France and kids, who also reside in the USA.
Hailing from ‘Pakoo Dam’ in Werk-en-Rust, Guyana, he was revered as a local idol in his community.
When discussing bodybuilding and weightlifting in Guyana, the name Joey France invariably emerges.
He was one of the rare individuals who excelled both domestically and internationally in both disciplines of these power sports.
Former National Bodybuilding and weightlifting champion, Joey France.
The late Sydney Paul, affectionately known as the ‘God Father’ of weightlifting in Guyana, documented that the sport was introduced to what was then British Guiana by the Bacchus family, residents of Queenstown, Georgetown, in 1936, just one year prior to France’s birth.
A 2017 article in the Guyana Chronicle, authored by Rawle Toney, remains the sole publication chronicling France’s journey in the sport.
In the article, France revealed that he ventured into bodybuilding at the age of 16, thanks to his involvement with the Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO) Club on Robb Street.
By 1955, France believed he was prepared for his bodybuilding debut, competing at the Muscle Beach Competition and surprisingly securing a second-place finish.
“It was an Easter Monday, and back then we used to have the Muscle Beach competition by the Seawalls. I went out there and did my thing, came second, which was a surprise because like I said, it was just an exercise for me,” highlighted France.
In the same article, France celebrated his 80th birthday and reminisced about his 1956 Junior Mr. Guyana competition victory and, three years later in 1959, his triumphant participation in the Senior Mr. Guyana competition.
In 1959, he transitioned to weightlifting, explaining, “I was strong. My body looked a certain way because I was in the gym all the time.”
At the 1966 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, France secured a silver medal, which was a significant achievement for Guyana’s Independence.
Later that same year, he again earned a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.
In 1967, France added another silver to his collection, this time at the Winnipeg Pan-American Games.
Commonly known as Joey, he and his wife migrated to the USA in 1971, marking the end of his competitive journey in both bodybuilding and weightlifting.
He explained, “I couldn’t do it anymore. We had kids. We had to work both day and night. My wife and I used to take turns looking after them as well, but I cherish those days. We had real sportsmanship. In fact, I believe we played more sports back then. Almost every day or most weekends, those grounds used to be packed, but that’s not the case anymore.”
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