Results from Ol’ Clark’s 94th Birthday Party and Record Day
It was a fun weekend at Clark’s Gym when Bill enjoyed a lifting doubleheader – a meet to celebrate his 94th birthday anniversary – and chance to say “thank you” to the members of Clark’s Gym who have survived 14 meets in the gym this past 12 months, along with the Show-Me State Games power meet for the 37th straight year – and the gym’s handling of the third USAWA national meet in the past four years.
The dinner was for the 20 gym members who have made it all happen, year after year, and now have had to survive a doubling of the gym rental to go along with all the lifting and the associated duties that go along with 14 meets in a year’s time. The gym would have closed had it not been for the actions of the members, Bill is quick to say.
It was also a time for Bill to establish an age group record. Only he has recorded an entry in the record list past the age of 90. He finished 18th among the 25 male lifters.
He also enjoyed the opportunity to lift in the same meet with Tony Cook of England. He and Cook co-founded the IAWA beginning in 1982 and finalized the details of the organization in December, 1986. Tony was joined by five British lifters who are listed in the results here with a note that they did not figure in the awards for the USAWA-sanctioned part of the competition – along with others from the community who Bill invited to join in the lifting just for the hell of it. Cook won the duel between the co-founders. He just turned 90 and finished 13th here.
A great time was had by all.
And it has been a long time since a meet drew 33 lifters that was not the USAWA postal.
Bill has sanctioned his 95th birthday bash for August 18, 2027, a date that will find him in a new age bracket – 95-99.