Paul Edward Anderson

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Paul Edward Anderson (October 17, 1932 – August 15, 1994) was a Olympic Weightlifter, strongman, and professional Powerlifter.

He was born in Toccoa, Georgia,USA.

Anderson turned professional at a fairly early age and many of his feats of strength, while generally credible, were not done under rigorous enough conditions to be 'official'. Nevertheless, he was at one time listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for a backlift of 6270 pounds. That was eventually removed because of a lack of verification, however, and indeed there is no evidence that the lift ever occurred. His claim to one-arm pressing strength has been disputed, but he may have pressed at least a 300 lb (140 kg). dumbbell.

As a child he suffered from Bright's Disease, a kidney disorder, and eventually died from kidney disease. He weighed between 350-375 lb and was only 5 feet 9 inches (1.8 m) tall (some sources say 5' 10" or even 5' 8"). He started weightlifting to build up his size in order to play football. He showed such remarkable promise as a weightlifter that he gave up football to concentrate on becoming the world's strongest man.

In 1955, at the height of the Cold War, Anderson, as winner of the USA National Amateur Athletic Union Weightlifting Championship, traveled to the Soviet Union, where weightlifting was a popular sport, for an international weightlifting competition. In a newsreel of the event shown in the United States the narrator, Bud Palmer, commented as follows: "Then, up to the bar stepped a great ball of a man, Paul Anderson." And paraphrasing Palmer "The Russians snickered as Anderson gripped the bar which was set at 402.5 pounds, an unheard of lift. But their snickers quickly changed to awe and all out cheers as up went the bar and Anderson lifted the heaviest weight overhead of any human in history." Prior to Anderson's lift, the Russian champion, Medvedev, had matched the Olympic record of the time with a 330.5 pound press. Anderson then did a 402.5 pound press. During the 1955 World Championships in Munich, Germany that October, Anderson also broke two other world records (for the press - 407.7 pounds - and total weight cleared - 1129.5 pounds) as he easily won the competition in his weight class to become world champion. Upon his return to the USA, he was received by then vice-president Richard Nixon, who thanked him for being such a wonderful goodwill ambassador. Anderson could not compete in the 1960 Olympics because he had been ruled a professional for accepting money for some of his weight lifting and strength exhibitions. In the 1960 Olympics the Russian heavyweight Yury Vlasov beat Paul Anderson's records set at the 1956 Olympics. A short time later, not to be outdone by the Russian and to verify his position as World's Strongest Man, Anderson lifted the same weight as the Russian three times in quick succession demonstrating unbelievable strength.

In 1956 he won a gold medal in a long, tough duel in the Melbourne, Australia Olympic Games as a weightlifter in the super-heavyweight class (while suffering from a 104 degree fever). Paul was tied with Argentinian Humberto Selvetti in the amount of weight lifted, but because Anderson weighing 137.9 kilograms, was lighter than Selvetti, who weighed 143.5 kilograms, Anderson was awarded the medal. Shortly after that Anderson turned professional.

In 1959, Paul Anderson married Glenda Garland. The couple, devout Christians, founded the Paul Anderson Youth Home, a home for troubled youth in Vidalia, Georgia in 1961, which was supported by Paul's speaking engagements and strength exhibitions. They had one adopted child, Paula, born in 1966.

[edit] Statistics and lifts

One arm overhead press: 300 lb (140 kg)

Standard clean and press: 402.5 lb (182.6 kg)

Parallel squat: 1,202 lb (545 kg), two reps (unverified)

Backlift: 6,270 Lbs (weight raised slightly off tressles)

Bench Press (Raw): 627 lb (284 kg)

[edit] References

• Anderson, Paul (with Jerry B. Jenkins). The World's Strongest Man Victor Books, Wheaton, IL. 1975 ISBN 0-88207-651-5
• Strossen, Randal J. Paul Anderson: The Mightiest Minister Ironmind Enterprises, Inc., Nevada City, CA 1999 ISBN 0-926888-08-0

[edit] External links

• The Paul Anderson Youth Home
• Anderson page at American Strength Legends
• Article on Anderson by Clarence Bass
• Paul Anderson, Hall of Fame at Lift Up
• Paul Anderson - Hall of Fame at Weightlifting Exchange
• Article on Anderson at the Univ. of Georgia website