The Greenfield dairy farmer has always had a competitive streak in him. Whether it be athletics, cycling, or most other sports, the active senior citizen has always kept himself busy. It also helps him show others that a brain injury is no barrier to success.
Now his focus has turned to competitive powerlifting and later this year, he will show off his talents at a gathering of Oceania's top lifters in Tahiti.
It is fair to say Mr Park is unfamiliar with phrases like "take it easy" and "slow down."
Just eight months after lifting his first weights, Mr Park has made quite a name for himself.
The former cyclist had attended the New Zealand Masters Games since 2002, but this year a shoulder injury sustained on the farm meant he was watching from the sidelines - something Mr Park does not do well.
The day before the powerlifting competitions at this year's Masters, he decided to enter and "have a crack at it."
Although he had done squats with weights before to improve his cycling sprints, Mr Park was relatively unfamiliar with the world of powerlifting. But he did all right, he said.
At that event, he lifted a gross weight of 180kg.
"They gave me a gold medal when I went to leave, so I guess I did OK," he laughed.
Six months later, at the New Zealand Powerlifting Championships in Timaru, Mr Park lifted 315kg gross, breaking national records for his age and weight class in squatting, bench press and overall lift.
Now, his focus is turning towards Tahiti. Serious training starts at his home gym towards the end of September. He will also work closely with coach, and Studio Fit gym owner, Sue Downes, over the coming months to fine-tune his lifting.
The Park family love their sport and love to compete. Mr Park was a successful athlete for many years before a serious bout of meningitis at the age of 57 scuttled plans to continue in that sport.
He was in a coma for four days and doctors predicted what his brain could remember over the next two years was as good as it was going to get for him.
"I remember thinking two years afterwards that I didn't like where I was so I just kept going. Lifting gives me concentration. I'm still remembering new things 14 years on."
He took up cycling and competed at a high level and still enjoys that sport, but powerlifting has become his new focus.
He and wife, Lesley, both officiated at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. Mrs Park was involved in a management role, liaising directly with athletes while Mr Park was a discus judge.
That taste of international competition only served to whet his appetite.
In the cycling world, he never managed to win gold because there were always a couple of cyclists better than him.
"I won a few silvers and bronzes, but never a gold. I'm a competitive guy and I like to win, so powerlifting is giving me that right now. It will do nicely."
