Walter M. Imahara, by Lily Imahara Metz
What does it take for a man to achieve a measure of success? Foremost, it has to be individualized – one man’s dream and his personal goal. Upon this premise, a pattern emerges that nearly all success stories have in common.
A few of the similarities are a purpose and meaning, dedication, sacrifice, ambition, perseverance, conditioning of mind, body and soul, a consuming desire to do the best and be the best. Beyond that, the benevolent gift of God bestowed on individuals turns the ordinary into a extraordinary life.
For Walter Imahara, the sixth child of a family of 10 children born to James and Haruka Imahara, there existed a destiny to carry on the duties of the first born son, a Japanese tradition. Trained and disciplined to shoulder this responsibility overtly and often covertly by his loving and caring parents, Walter had an early training that conditioned and stabilized him to go forward to a lifetime of fulfilled accomplishments.
“I always knew that I had to do a little better than the rest,” Walter has often said. This inner conviction has been the driving force throughout his life.
As a horticulture student at what was then SLI (now Southwestern Louisiana) in Lafayette, he developed a method of raising orchids in native pine bark for which he received a scholarship. Despite his honor, Walter did not quite measure up to his given Japanese name, Manabu, meaning a scholar. Between classes, Walter became involved in weightlifting that consumed more time than his schooling could afford, causing his dad to say that he paid for Walter’s brawn instead of his brains.
Nevertheless, with a diploma in one hand and a dumb-bell in the other, Walter joined the Army in the 60s. The planned family business would have to be put on hold for several years because the elder Imahara wanted to wait for Walter.
Soon, the Berlin Crisis became everyone’s concern even with Germany so far away. At one point, Walter’s mother, frightened and overwhelmed by the harsh news of the conflict, cried out to God to let her see her son once more. However, the family knew that this was impossible.
But it was the weightlifting, which Walter had continued into his Army career, which helped fulfill his mother’s prayers. One day the family received news that Walter was coming home. According to him, there was an opportunity to compete in the national championship back in the States. He qualified and entered the contest. In Pennsylvania, he won the title, then had a week to spare. But the Deep South was a long way away and he had no money. A friend heard of his predicament and offered to help. This brief time was enough for his mother and father to bear the separations all other parents did.
Back in Germany, a beautiful thing happened. Walter met another Japanese American, Sumi Matsumoto, a school teacher for the Army personnel’s children. They married and Walter brought his bride home to Baton Rouge. Together, the couple joined his father at James Gardening Service which became Pelican State Nursery and later Imahara Nursery and Landscape Co., Inc.
Walter put aside his personal interest and hobby for 10 years and established the business on Florida Blvd. Again, following his best instinct and his parents’ advice and guidance, Walter asked his sister May and her husband, Sam Kaga and their two daughters to leave Georgia and join the family business.
First the father, then Walter, then May, this was the Japanese ideal — the tripod. By himself, James Imahara was wobbly. With Walter, two legs were stronger. But with May, the three legs became a tripod, very strong and unbreakable.
The family business grew with Baton Rouge. As success stories go, they labored in love — love for each other, love for the gardening business and love for the Baton Rouge community. It has been said that the “Imahara’s make Baton Rouge beautiful.” And, indeed they did. In 1979, the business grew and expanded from 3.5 acres on Florida Blvd. to another location on Old Hammond Highway. In 1984, the entire operation was consolidated and relocated to Perkins Rd. In 1987, his niece Wanda Metz Chase returned as the third generation of Imahara landscape, and in 1999, Walter turned the business over to Wanda allowing him to continue his commitment to industry groups and be involved in development activities and concentrate on his real passion, weightlifting.
Walter now enjoys building and expanding his own shopping developments, and continues to dream of other business ventures. He has climbed the chairs to Presidency at the Southern Nursery Association as well as the National Landscape Association. Walter has been honored as Louisiana’s Nurseryman of the Year on three different occasions and bestowed the James A. Foret Award in 1999 for lifetime contributions to the Louisiana nursery industry. He was also honored by the American Nursery and Landscape Association in 2002 for his contribution and lobbying advocacy for the industry on the national level.
And his love for weightlifting continues. After returning to the sport in 1980, Walter won an astonishing 26 consecutive National Gold Medals, and 11 consecutive World Gold Medals, as he traveled the globe competing and over-seeing the Sport in distant lands. Walter retains many world records, including the 187 pound snatch and 221 pound clean and jerk lift made in 2000 competing in 69 kilo, 60-64 age classification. In 2008, Walter retired as President of the International Weightlifting Federation after 20 years of service, and put down his barbells for competition.
Walter and Sumi continue in ‘active’ retirement, completing two beautiful private arboretums in St. Francisville, Louisiana, where Walter says “it all began”, and home to “remembering his roots.” They continue to travel the world, visiting family and friends, and gathering ideas “for the next project.”
A measure of success is for anyone who dares to dream and set a goal. A gardener’s son, while helping his father and family to realize their dreams and goals, achieved his own measure of success along the way.
Walter M. Imahara, by Lily Imahara Metz
What does it take for a man to achieve a measure of success? Foremost, it has to be individualized – one man’s dream and his personal goal. Upon this premise, a pattern emerges that nearly all success stories have in common.
A few of the similarities are a purpose and meaning, dedication, sacrifice, ambition, perseverance, conditioning of mind, body and soul, a consuming desire to do the best and be the best. Beyond that, the benevolent gift of God bestowed on individuals turns the ordinary into a extraordinary life.
For Walter Imahara, the sixth child of a family of 10 children born to James and Haruka Imahara, there existed a destiny to carry on the duties of the first born son, a Japanese tradition. Trained and disciplined to shoulder this responsibility overtly and often covertly by his loving and caring parents, Walter had an early training that conditioned and stabilized him to go forward to a lifetime of fulfilled accomplishments.
“I always knew that I had to do a little better than the rest,” Walter has often said. This inner conviction has been the driving force throughout his life.
As a horticulture student at what was then SLI (now Southwestern Louisiana) in Lafayette, he developed a method of raising orchids in native pine bark for which he received a scholarship. Despite his honor, Walter did not quite measure up to his given Japanese name, Manabu, meaning a scholar. Between classes, Walter became involved in weightlifting that consumed more time than his schooling could afford, causing his dad to say that he paid for Walter’s brawn instead of his brains.
Nevertheless, with a diploma in one hand and a dumb-bell in the other, Walter joined the Army in the 60s. The planned family business would have to be put on hold for several years because the elder Imahara wanted to wait for Walter.
Soon, the Berlin Crisis became everyone’s concern even with Germany so far away. At one point, Walter’s mother, frightened and overwhelmed by the harsh news of the conflict, cried out to God to let her see her son once more. However, the family knew that this was impossible.
But it was the weightlifting, which Walter had continued into his Army career, which helped fulfill his mother’s prayers. One day the family received news that Walter was coming home. According to him, there was an opportunity to compete in the national championship back in the States. He qualified and entered the contest. In Pennsylvania, he won the title, then had a week to spare. But the Deep South was a long way away and he had no money. A friend heard of his predicament and offered to help. This brief time was enough for his mother and father to bear the separations all other parents did.
Back in Germany, a beautiful thing happened. Walter met another Japanese American, Sumi Matsumoto, a school teacher for the Army personnel’s children. They married and Walter brought his bride home to Baton Rouge. Together, the couple joined his father at James Gardening Service which became Pelican State Nursery and later Imahara Nursery and Landscape Co., Inc.
Walter put aside his personal interest and hobby for 10 years and established the business on Florida Blvd. Again, following his best instinct and his parents’ advice and guidance, Walter asked his sister May and her husband, Sam Kaga and their two daughters to leave Georgia and join the family business.
First the father, then Walter, then May, this was the Japanese ideal — the tripod. By himself, James Imahara was wobbly. With Walter, two legs were stronger. But with May, the three legs became a tripod, very strong and unbreakable.
The family business grew with Baton Rouge. As success stories go, they labored in love — love for each other, love for the gardening business and love for the Baton Rouge community. It has been said that the “Imahara’s make Baton Rouge beautiful.” And, indeed they did. In 1979, the business grew and expanded from 3.5 acres on Florida Blvd. to another location on Old Hammond Highway. In 1984, the entire operation was consolidated and relocated to Perkins Rd. In 1987, his niece Wanda Metz Chase returned as the third generation of Imahara landscape, and in 1999, Walter turned the business over to Wanda allowing him to continue his commitment to industry groups and be involved in development activities and concentrate on his real passion, weightlifting.
Walter now enjoys building and expanding his own shopping developments, and continues to dream of other business ventures. He has climbed the chairs to Presidency at the Southern Nursery Association as well as the National Landscape Association. Walter has been honored as Louisiana’s Nurseryman of the Year on three different occasions and bestowed the James A. Foret Award in 1999 for lifetime contributions to the Louisiana nursery industry. He was also honored by the American Nursery and Landscape Association in 2002 for his contribution and lobbying advocacy for the industry on the national level.
And his love for weightlifting continues. After returning to the sport in 1980, Walter won an astonishing 26 consecutive National Gold Medals, and 11 consecutive World Gold Medals, as he traveled the globe competing and over-seeing the Sport in distant lands. Walter retains many world records, including the 187 pound snatch and 221 pound clean and jerk lift made in 2000 competing in 69 kilo, 60-64 age classification. In 2008, Walter retired as President of the International Weightlifting Federation after 20 years of service, and put down his barbells for competition.
Walter and Sumi continue in ‘active’ retirement, completing two beautiful private arboretums in St. Francisville, Louisiana, where Walter says “it all began”, and home to “remembering his roots.” They continue to travel the world, visiting family and friends, and gathering ideas “for the next project.”
A measure of success is for anyone who dares to dream and set a goal. A gardener’s son, while helping his father and family to realize their dreams and goals, achieved his own measure of success along the way.