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Paul Edward Anderson (born October 17, 1932 in Toccoa, Georgia, died August 15, 1994) was a weightlifter and strongman. Anderson may have been the strongest man who ever lived. He turned professional at a fairly young age and many of his feats of strength, while generally credible, were not done under rigorous enough conditions to be 'official'. Nevertheless, he was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for a backlift of 6270 pounds, and was reported by reliable witnesses as having done a one armed press over his head of 380 pounds. As a child he suffered from Bright's Disease, a kidney disorder, and eventually died from kidney disease. He was only 5 feet 9 inches tall (some sources say 5' 10") and 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. A newsreel shown in the United States of the event had the commentator proclaiming the "ball of a man" (Anderson) coming on the stage, and showed members of the Russian audience gaping in amazement as Anderson broke two world records. The Russian champion matched the Olympic record of the time with a 330.5 pound military press. Anderson then did a 402.5 pound press. While touring, Anderson also broke two other world records. 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. 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 in Vidalia, Georgia in 1961, supported by Paul's speaking engagements and strength exhibitions. They had one child, Paula, born in 1966. Data originally published on Wikipedia |