"One of the greatest parts of powerlifting is the people I have met.
I Remember Dudley Cook at the March 2012 Chicago meet. He
has a traumatic brain injury from Iraq (he was a tank commander). Because
of this, he needs directions written out to go shopping and even to do laundry.
He has very little short or long-term memory.
He completed his second squat clean, and good, but did not
wait for the command to rack the weight. This meant that he failed the
lift. He right away asked the judges why he got "red
lighted". The other lifters thought he was arguing with the judges.
The comments among them were something along the lines of "he blew
it. He should just shut up and sit down."
None of them (or the judges) knew about his injury.
When they found out his problem, you could see the change in the lifters --
they had respect for him. And one of the judges reminded him of the
rules before each lift. (Thank you Roger Gedney for that courtesy and
consideration!!)
He needed to be reminded of the rules command before each
lift. but still competed! Don't know all of the details of the repercussions of
the brain injury -- except what was written down for him in a notebook that he
carried everywhere with him. The notebook told people a little of what was
wrong with him, as well as all those directions he needed, and a picture of his
grown daughter, so he would recognize her when he saw her.
He was somewhere between 50 and 54...weight 81.4K. He
finished with a 120K squat...85K bench...and 165K deadlift (380K total).
I haven't seen Dudley since, and I haven't been able to find him, even on a
quick search on the web page available only to those in or retired from the
Army.
Another person who comes to mind is Iosef. Iosef is originally
from Russia, and speaks with a thick accent. At 78 years old, and
weighing less than 70 Kilo (154 lb), he only benches. He doesn't squat or
deadlift. But still, he continues to lift.
Then there is Paul Wrenn. I did not know the name,
but later found out that he is a legend in the world of powerlifting. He
is still competing at 66 years old -- but more importantly, he continues to
work as a missionary in the Philippines. He also goes to prisons,
churches, schools and many other places, using a strong man and powerlifting
show to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I met him and his family at the
ADFPF Nationals this last year. Two of his grandsons were competing as
well, making this truly a family adventure. One of his grandsons will be
starting Bible college this year.
Before the meet, there were 8 or nine of us in a
room. I listened to the stories of powerlifting and family. After a
few minutes the conversation changed to our faith journey. It was then
that I found out what Paul had been doing for years -- and discovered that in
the room were 3 other pastors.
There are many different types of people who lift
weights…but it is a joy to know that in many of the groups, there is a deep
fellowship, not only of the iron, but as we share a love of God."
Thanks, and I hope to meet the "Powerlifting Pastor" someday, and I know I will!
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