John Stuart

John Stuart was the only son of John and Florence Isabelle (née Rothwell) Stuart of Dumbarton, Scotland, and came to Canada with his parents and older sister Jane in 1923 at the age of two, settling in Verdun, Quebec. Involved with weightlifting since the early 1940s, Stuart quickly gained prominence in his sport competing in provincial and national competitions, and in 1941, held the Canadian record for two-hand press (lightweight) with 202.25 pounds. Finishing second at the 1947 World Championships in the lightweight class (350.0 kg) and holding the provincial champion title in his weight class, he was eventually selected to compete for Canada at the 1948 Olympics in London. There, Stuart set an Olympic record in the press section, lifting a total of 107.5 kilograms. He would, however, just fall short of a medal, finishing fifth in the final standings. He was also a member of the Canadian weightlifting delegation to the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand, alongside fellow 1948 Olympians Rosaire Smith, Gerry Gratton and Jack Varaleau; there, he finished fifth in the lightweight class (435 pounds).

By profession, Stuart worked at an office equipment firm in Verdun as a shipper for most of the 1940s and 1950s. He later married and had twin daughters in the mid-1950s, and resided on Rue Lang in Châteauguay, a suburb of Montreal. His whereabouts and fate after the mid-1970s is unknown, as he later became estranged from and lost contact with his immediate and extended family, and failed to show up for court proceedings initiated against him by his wife.