Athlétisme | Black Athletes Illustrated Weightlifting Playing Cards

Step into the golden age of physical culture with Athlétisme: Black Athletes Illustrated Edition, a 55-card playing deck celebrating Black athletes, weightlifting, strength, and sporting life.

Created by Walt & Pete®, this companion to the original Athlétisme deck features original, historically inspired illustrations. The athletes are imagined characters, not identified people depicted in archival photographs. Warm paper tones, ornamental borders, and a coordinated tuck box give the deck the feel of an early-20th-century sporting collectible.

Traditional Spades, Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds keep the cards familiar for play. Across the four suits, the special cards introduce a cast of illustrated athletes:

• Ace — The Champion
• Jack — The Contender
• Queen — The Medalist
• King — The Victor

Two individually illustrated Jokers and a Walt & Pete® collector card complete the deck. Each court card has its own athletic pose, bringing a range of men and women into this imagined world of vintage weightlifting.

Deck Details

• 55 cards: 52 playing cards, 2 Jokers, and 1 collector card
• Card Stock: Regular Linen (R28)
• Four traditional suits: Spades, Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds
• Original, historically inspired Black athlete illustrations
• Coordinating card back and presentation tuck box
• Standard poker-size cards, approximately 2.48 × 3.46 inches
• Designed by Walt & Pete®

Made for playing, gifting, display, or collecting, Athlétisme: Black Athletes Illustrated Edition celebrates strength and representation through the visual language of vintage physical culture.

Walt & Pete®
Forgotten Moments, Forever Remembered.