David Whitley

[Tom Ryan]

David Whitley

[KCSTRONGMAN]

Chad beat Paul Anderson. Sweet!
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I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Al Myers]

Thanks Tom! I hadn’t seen that YouTube clip yet, and really enjoyed it. I especially liked the bending stunt over the throat. David also has a great blog – http://irontamerblog.com/

I was amazed at his flexiibility for his size. He weighed in at 284#, and when he was stretching prior to his bent press he was bending his legs in ways that mine would NEVER bend!

At the meet, I didn’t make the connection about who he was. I thought I “recognized” him, and afterwards realized it was from videos of him I have watched before on YouTube. That is how the day in York was. It was a “who’s who” of lifting, and now since I have been back home I hear of lifters that were there (I didn’t know it at the time) I wished I would have talked to. What a great day!!! Al

[Tom Ryan]

Al,

Speaking of “lifters who were there”, I wonder if Bill March was among them. I think of him from time to time and wonder how he is doing after his heart surgery of several years ago. He turns 74 sometime this year and is supposed to have a farm near York. Unfortunately, he got all “out of shape” some years ago as his weight ballooned to 300 pounds (he is 5-9) and became practically unrecognizable. (Bill Starr and I discussed this several years ago.) Dick Smith (“Smitty”) was an AOBS honoree several years ago and March introduced him. I think he weighed about 300 then and I never would have recognized him.

Unlike most of the York lifters, March was from that area and if my aging memory is working, I believe he is from Dallastown, which is close to York. (I am not sure, but I think his farm may be in Dover.)

March was quite an athlete and physical specimen (former world record holder in the press at 160.5 kilos in the 90 kilo class) who once had a tryout with the Baltimore Colts although he didn’t play football beyond high school.

I never met March but I was “around him” on 3 occasions, the first being in 1962 when he came in the York Barbell building to say there was a problem with the water in Hoffman’s pool. (I happened to be there because my uncle, who lived in Upper Darby, was a manufacturer’s rep who had business in York and he dropped me off at York Barbell while he saw his clients.)

Just out of curiosity, who were the lifters whom you later learned were in York last weekend for the festivities? I would probably recognize their names.

Tom

[Al Myers]

Tom, That is an interesting story about Bill March! I don’t know if he was at York or not that weekend. Like I said, we were so busy with our meet that it didn’t give us much time to mingle with those there. Guys I wish I got to talk to include Jedd Johnson, John Wood, Pat Povalitis and Greg Matonick. Some “oldtimers” that you might know Tom that was there (which I ALSO wish I got to visit with) include Bill Hinbern, Jan Dellinger and “Smitty” Smith. I’m sure there were many others there as well. Al

[Tom Ryan]

Al,

Yes, I know about Bill, Jan, and Smitty. I bought an item or two from Bill some years ago and I had an enjoyable phone conversation with Smitty a few years ago when I was trying to locate George Pickett for Joe Dube. Smitty didn’t know me but he was quite talkative and told me an interesting story about when he was coaching Lee James in training before the ’76 Olympics. Smitty is in his 80s and began assisting Bill March in his training about 50 years ago. As Smitty put it, he was “just” a used car salesman when he started working with York lifters.

Tom

[Al Myers]

I did get to visit shortly with Dennis Rogers. He’s an extremely friendly man. I visited VERY shortly with Slim. I gotta admit that I was a little intimated by him and I didn’t even shake his hand after he about broke Thoms. The funny thing is that later in the day I noticed my Dad carrying on a LONG conversation with Slim (it seemed like it lasted at least 20 minutes). I knew my Dad didn’t even know who Slim was beforehand and I couldn’t imagine what they were talking about!! It turns out the conversation between them had nothing to do with lifting or strongman. Slim is a very modest man and I could tell that the day’s festivities honoring him was a bit too much for him, and he probably just appreciated talking to someone who didn’t want his autograph or their picture taken with him!! Al

[Ben Edwards]

Very cool reports guys. I know some of the guys you’re talking about from contests and a few from forum interaction. Jedd Johnson is a great guy that I’ve spent some time corresponding with and at contests too. David Whitley seems very nice and I have followed his blog (Irontamer) for a while too. Glad to see he joined the USAWA! His blog can only help get more people interested in all-round lifting since it’s well-traveled.

https://goalorientedtraining.wordpress.com/

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