In loving memory of Juris Terauds
October 15, 1936 – September 30, 2025
Juris Terauds (October 15, 1936 – September 30, 2025) passed away peacefully near his home in Olivenhain, CA.
Born in Latvia he would say, though he lived all over and spent the majority of his years as a US citizen, that he was 100% Latvian.
As a boy, forced to flee encroaching Russian troops, his family arrived in Canada from Germany by ship.
Juris took to sports, but it was through javelin that his talent really shone.
Admitted to The University of Dubuque (C ‘61) on a work scholarship, he holds the university’s record in javelin with a career best of 215′ 8″.
It was also at UD that he met and married fellow undergrad Shirley Jean Henry, with whom he’d share three children.
He received his Master of Science from UCLA and LASU in ‘64, then between ‘65 – ‘68 returned to Canada to start his family.
He is remembered as an exemplary teacher and coach, leading Chateauguay Valley Regional High School’s basketball and track teams to the Quebec Provincial Championships.
Coaching for the Eastern Township Track Association, he raised good talent that helped some careers.
At University of Maryland, College Park, Juris earned his PhD from the Department of Kinesiology in ‘72.
His research included conceptualizing a tennis racquet designed to combat tennis elbow, awakening the inventor in him and his entrepreneurial spirit.
As Associate Professor at University of Texas, Odessa, he commissioned the development of a pneumatic javelin launcher that enabled him and his colleagues to study the aerodynamics and ballistics of competition javelins, arriving at a design that remains in use.
While a full tenured Professor at the University of Alberta in ‘77, research began in earnest for what was to become Juris’ most lucrative achievement, the Xiser stepping machine.
This US patent would spark the development of every stepping machine around the world.
Although he would not see the recognition due to flimsy patent laws, Juris carved out a space in the niche market of portable steppers.
His most notable accomplishment in the invention of the Xiser was personally using it as the main part of a training regime to fulfill one his ultimate goals.
He competed for the USA in javelin at the 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia, and won gold.
Professionally, Juris was founder and president of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, director of Biomechanics Research at the Olympic Games, president of the International Photo Optical Instrumentation Engineers High Speed Cinematography Society, and developed the first Biomechanics PhD program in Canada and the British Commonwealth.
He was sought out as a consultant for a multitude of prestigious organizations, including
The US Olympic Committee. Juris penned 17 books on Biomechanics, published 34 research articles, and presented 68 research papers at national and international conferences.
Driven as he was, Juris cherished family above all else.
Generous with his time, he relished every success no matter how great or small.
One of his last crowning achievements was meeting with Latvia’s president, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga to discuss modifying their constitution.
He suggested that the offspring of those forced out during the Russian occupation should be permitted to obtain Latvian citizenship by descent.
Proudly, as part of his legacy, the constitution was amended.
Juris is survived by his children, ten grandchildren, three of seven siblings, nieces, nephews, twenty-seven grand nieces and nephews, several with their own families, and a great grandchild. A cornerstone, his loss has been far reaching.
Elected into University of Dubuque’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006, Juris expressed: “I believe there are three things one should look for and embrace. Embrace and give love as much as possible. Embrace hope. Embrace Faith.”
