Joe Sklar took up weightlifting in the mid-1930s and, by 1939, was well-known on the Canadian scene and had been crowned national champion in the middleweight division. Among the athletes vying to outdo Sklar’s lift totals was Joe Weider, the future bodybuilding icon. Sklar joined the Royal Canadian Navy, but remained active in amateur competition through the 1940s and was eventually given the opportunity to represent his country the 1948 Summer Olympics. He performed well in pre-Olympic demonstrations in London but, in the middleweight category, finished 10th among 24 competitors. He retired from active competition soon after and left the Navy as an officer, eventually becoming a businessman and entrepreneur.