Ken Sprague

Kenneth Ray Sprague, born on 14 July 1945 in Cincinnati, Ohio, is an American bodybuilder, businessman, author and school teacher. He is best known as the owner of the original Gold's Gym in Venice, Los Angeles, which he bought in 1972 and ran until 1979. As a youth he competed in track and field, football, boxing, Olympic weightlifting and bodybuilding, entered many Amateur Athletic Union championships, and won the Mr. Cincinnati bodybuilding title in 1967. Under his ownership Gold's became known as the Mecca of bodybuilding, sponsored competitions such as the AAU Mr. America, and was frequented by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dave Draper. After selling the gym he moved to Oregon, wrote several bodybuilding books, and later taught mathematics and science, retiring from Marietta High School in 2010.