Paul Edward Anderson
Age – 61 years old
Height – 1.77 meters.
Weight – 138–170 kg.
Paul Edward Anderson is an American weightlifter, powerlifter and strongman. One of the strongest men in history. Olympic champion and US and World champion, world record holder for barbell lifting. The last American to date to win Olympic gold in weightlifting in the super heavy weight class. He has made significant contributions to the development of competitive powerlifting.
Paul was born on October 17, 1932 in Toccoa, Georgia, USA. He began working out as a teenager. With impressive dimensions Anderson was not too distinguished by strength, although the speed indicators were impressive. To increase his strength and get into the school soccer team, he practiced on his own in the backyard of his house. To do this, Paul used special homemade weights, which his father made him out of concrete. Subsequently, Anderson became the best quarterback on the team.
Paul went to university on an athletic scholarship, but he soon became interested in weightlifting. After getting to know a group of weightlifters, he realized that he was indeed superior in some ways, and this motivated him to take up weightlifting seriously. In 1952, Anderson met the legendary weightlifter Bob Peeples, who had a great influence on him and introduced him into the circles of weightlifting. And Paul decides not to go back to school to devote himself to the sport and be able to compete.
After Anderson’s performance and victory at the 1953 North American Weightlifting Championships in Montreal, he became the talk of the sporting world.
In 1955, Paul wins the U.S. Weightlifting Championship, which was held in Cleveland. This victory allows him to join the national team and go to international competitions in the Soviet Union.
“When Anderson’s colossal figure appeared on the platform, a cheer began in the auditorium, which increased when Anderson began the barbell exercise. He squeezed out 182.5 kg. This is a new world record. Anderson improved the previous world record held by Hapburn (Canada) by 14 kg. In the snatch, Anderson records 142.5 kg. In the jerk he shows 193 kg. This makes a huge total of 518.5 kg in the triathlon. (At that time in Moscow Anderson weighed 155 kg)…”. – Y. Vlasov. “Justice of Power”
At the World Championships in Munich in October of the same year Anderson set two more world records (185.5 kg bench press, 512.5 kg triathlon total), easily winning these competitions and began preparations for the 1956 Olympic Games.
At the 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia, Paul Anderson (with a temperature of 40 degrees) after a long and intense struggle with Argentinean Humberto Selvetti won the gold medal. The athletes lifted the same weight, but Anderson was lighter, so the gold medal went to him.
After this Olympics, Anderson retired to professional sports, so he could no longer participate in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where Yuri Vlasov broke his records in the triathlon total.
The strongman became a professional strongman. In the power triathlon he showed the following results: squats with a weight of 544.5 kg, bench press – 284 kg and deadlift – 371 kg (with straps – 453.5 kg), (the sum without equipment – 1199 kg). Anderson also performed an incomplete squat with 952.5 kg, and during one of his performances he ripped 2844 kg with his shoulders off the racks (almost entered the Guinness Book of World Records). He could hold 127 kg kettlebells on his outstretched hands with his little fingers. He could bench press with one hand a dumbbell weighing 172.5 kg.
“In professional strength demonstrations, Anderson has been able to lift 1,600 kg off the platform and up to his knees. In addition, he performs an incomplete squat – “short squat” with a weight of 900 kg, walks with 700 kg on the chest and squats according to all rules with 425 kg “
- Y. Vlasov. “Justice of Power”
Then the athlete concentrated more on demonstrations: he held on the straps of a platform with 15–20 girls, as well as squatted with two containers with 25000 dollars in silver, the total weight of which together with the fingerboard was almost more than 600 kg. In parallel with his career as a weightlifter, Anderson tried himself in movies, wrestling and even boxing (bouts were not serious and had a hype character). In addition, Paul squeezed a dumbbell weighing 136 kg for 7 times with his left hand and 11 times with his right.
In 1959, Paul Anderson married Glenda Garland. In 1961, together they founded “Youth House” a center for troubled teens in Vidalia, Georgia.
Paul suffered from Bright’s disease (kidney disease) as a child and by the age of 48 he had kidney problems. In 1980, he received a kidney transplant from his sister. This gave him 14 years of life and work. Paul became a Christian preacher and traveled around the United States. Also sometimes continued his power performances, but he did not show the previous results. Anderson gave all his savings to charity.
On August 15, 1994, at the age of 61, Paul Anderson died.
“The most important thing in my life is faith. I strive to give more than to take, I strive to realize my abilities to help others in every possible way”
Today, the Paul Anderson Youth House welcomes young people who have experienced traumatic situations, committed crimes, or are in difficult situations, providing them with housing, education, love, discipline, and stability.
There is a Paul Anderson Memorial Park in Toccoa. It features a life-size sculpture of a strongman lifting a barbell over his head.
