INTERVIEW WITH LEGEND BILL KAZMAIER ,QWHUYLHZFRXUWHV\E\=KDQQD,YDQRYD

Kazmaier won the World’s Strongest Man :60 WLWOHWKUHHWLPHVLQDQG

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING CAREER

Kazmaier wrestled during the 1980’s for promotions such as and Continental Championship Wrestling.

+LVELJJHVWQDWLRQDOH[SRVXUHFDPHZKHQKH GHEXWHGIRU:RUOG&KDPSLRQVKLS:UHVWOLQJLQ 1991 at . He received several shots at ’s WCW World Heavyweight &KDPSLRQVKLSEXWIDLOHGWRZLQWKHWLWOH+HDOVR EULHÁ\WHDPHGZLWK5LFN6WHLQHURQO\WRORVH WR7KH(QIRUFHUVLQDWRXUQDPHQWÀQDOIRUWKH WCW World Tag Team Championship. While in :&:.D]PDLHUDOVRZUHVWOHGIRU1HZ-DSDQ3UR Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Wrestling. Weight 320 lb (150 kg)

LIFE AFTER COMPETITION LOO.D]PDLHU ERUQ'HFHPEHU LQ%XUOLQJWRQ:LVFRQVLQ LVDIRUPHU Bpowerlifter, strongman and professional After Kazmaier retired from strongman ZUHVWOHUIURPWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV+HLVZLGHO\ FRPSHWLWLRQDQGSURZUHVWOLQJKHRSHQHGD considered to be one of the all-time greatest ÀWQHVVFOXE.D])LWQHVV&HQWHULQ$XEXUQ competitors in strength competitions. $ODEDPD7KHJ\PFORVHGLQ.D]PDLHUWKHQ During the 1970s and 80s, he set numerous RSHQHGDQGFRQWLQXHVWRRSHUDWH6:$7J\P powerlifting and strongman world records, LQ2SHOLND$ODEDPD and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) world championships and Kazmaier currently appears on ESPN as a WKUHH:RUOG·V6WURQJHVW0DQWLWOHV FRFRPPHQWDWRUIRUWKH$PHULFDQEURDGFDVWRI Kazmaier played American football at the annual World’s Strongest Man competition WKH8QLYHUVLW\RI:LVFRQVLQ²0DGLVRQIURP along with Todd Harris and 2006 World’s ²EHIRUHOHDYLQJVFKRROWRSXUVXH 6WURQJHVW0DQZLQQHU3KLO3ÀVWHU+HDOVRGRHV powerlifting full-time. some additional co-commentating in the British EURDGFDVW

POWERLIFTING & STRONG MEN CAREER

,Q.D]PDLHUZRQWKH,3)ZRUOG powerlifting championship and the American powerlifting championship. He won the IPF world FKDPSLRQVKLSDJDLQLQ,Q.D]PDLHU EHFDPHWKHÀUVWSHUVRQWREHQFKSUHVVNJ in competition. The 1981 event was the same FRPSHWLWLRQLQZKLFKKHWRWDOHGNJ  OE +LVEHVWOLIWVZHUHNJ OEV VTXDW GRQHZLWKRXWDVXLW NJ OEV EHQFK SUHVVDQGNJ OEV GHDGOLIW “My stimulus and reason for living is really to help others.”

33 THE IPF MAGAZINE INTERVIEW WITH BILL KAZMAIER

INTERVIEW DOVR\RXZDQWWRNQRZDQGFRPHEDFNWRPRUURZ PRUQLQJWRDVNTXHVWLRQVDQG,ZLOOKHOS\RX - Powerlifting was a big part of your life, more. what did powerlifting give you in your life? That’s my greatest gift and that’s my greatest My achievements within the sport gave me a UHZDUGWURSKLHVWLWOHVDQGZRUOGUHFRUGVPHDQV SODWIRUPWRWKHQJRRXWLQWRWKHFRPPXQLW\WR nothing to me. But to actually go into the eyes FLWLHVDQGVFKRROVDQGVKDUHP\H[SHULHQFHV RID\RXQJSHUVRQGRZQWRWKHKHDUWDQGSXWD ,ZDVDEOHWRHQFRXUDJHDQGPRWLYDWHSHRSOH WKXPESULQWRQWKHVRXODQGFKDQJHWKHLUOLIHIRU DQGKHOSWKHPWREHFRPHFKDPSLRQVZLQQHUV WKHEHWWHULVOLNHDPLOOLRQSRXQGOLIW ,HQFRXUDJHGSHRSOHWRRYHUFRPHDGYHUVLW\WR strive through hard training and discipline and determination.  :KDWDUH\RXUWKRXJKWVDERXWIHDUWKH sort of fear that you feel sometimes before a competition? Because fear stops some people,  :KRWROG\RXDERXWWKLVVSRUW" but fear can also be a stimulant for people.

:HOOLQWKHWKJUDGH,OLIWHGP\ÀUVWZHLJKW $FRXSOHRIWLPHV,KDYHWKRXJKW´ÀJKWRU ,WRRNP\ERG\ZHLJKWRYHUKHDGDW\HDUVROG ÁLJKWµDVLIRQHZDVDZRXQGHGDQLPDOLQD ZLWKOE?NJWKHPDQ,GLGWKDWLQIURQW FRUQHUEHLQJEHDWHQWKHDQLPDOFRPHVRXWLQD RINLFNHGPHRXWIURPWKHJ\PDQGWROGPH rage. But I found something much more pure QRWFRPHEDFN,KDGWRÀQGP\RZQZD\DQG WKDQWKDWIRXUOHWWHUZRUG/29(,ZRXOGKDYH VQXFNLQWRD<0&$DQGZDWFKWKHJX\VGR ORYHIRUP\/RUGZKHQ,GLGDJDLQ,JRWJRRVH VTXDWGHDGOLIWDQGEHQFKDQG,OHDUQHGYHU\ EXPSV,DOZD\VVDLG´,GRWKLVLQFHOHEUDWLRQ TXLFNO\DQGKDGJUHDWVWUHQJWKVR,UHDOO\GLG IRUP\/RUGµDQG,OLIWHGYHU\KHDY\ZHLJKWV not have any teachers. I trained and I followed WKH\ZHUHVRHDV\WKH\ZHUHQHYHUKDUG,QHYHU WKHGLVFLSOLQHRISRZHUOLIWLQJEXW,IHOWWKDWWKHUH PLVVHG,WRRNZHLJKWVWKDW,NQHZ,FRXOGPDNH was something special going on and I feel this even though they were world records. to this day. I have visited many schools in my time giving that message. That’s my career in 3RZHUOLIWLQJP\GULYLQJSXVKDOOFRPHVIURP WKHZDQWQHHGDQGGHVLUHWRKHOSRWKHUSHRSOH  :KDW·VWKHPRVWVWURQJHVWHOHPHQWRI EHFDXVHQRRQHZDQWHGWRKHOSPHEXWVRPHRQH your character? WKHJUHDWHVWSRZHUKHOSHGPHVRQRZ,ZDQW to help others so that history does not stay the :HOOWKHUH·VDEDODQFHRIPLQGERG\DQG VDPHWKDW\RXQJSHRSOHFDQJRWRDFKDPSLRQ VSLULWDQGWKRVHDOOZRUNVWRJHWKHU$QG,WKLQN and learn. Yesterday standing right here were ,KDYHWKRVHLQDKDUPRQ\DQG,ZDVDEOHWRGR 20 young powerlifters and I gave them a seminar that through my religion. for 30 minutes. I told them to go home tonight DQGWKLQN DERXWZKDW ,VDLGWDON to your FRDFKHV WDONDPRQJ yourselves and use your computer to decide what you OHDUQZKDW \RXNQRZ and what INTERVIEW WITH BILL KAZMAIER

UHDOLW\LI\RXWKLQN\RXDUHDFKDPSLRQDQG DZLQQHU\RXDUH:KHQ,ZDONHGRQWRWKH - Now, what is your stimulant to live? SODWIRUPLQDFRPSHWLWLRQWKDWZDVP\WURSK\ Do you want to teach young people, or WKDWZDVP\WLWOHWKDWZDVP\FKHFNDQGLW something else maybe " was all mine. No one could touch me. Doing FRPSHWLWLRQVZLWKLQMXULHVVLPSO\LQP\UHDOLW\, My stimulus and reason for living is really ZDVLQYLQFLEOH,FRXOGQ·WEHEHDWHQ:KHQRWKHUV to help others. Not only the worlds strongest lifted weight that was so heavy for them I tossed PHQEXWGRLQJWHOHYLVLRQZLWKWKHPLVDORWRI WKHZHLJKWEHFDXVHWRPHLWZDVHPSW\LWZDVQR IXQEHLQJDURXQGæ\GUƈQDV6DYLFNDVDQGEHLQJ ZHLJKWDQG,EHOLHYHGWKHUHZDVQRWKLQJ+HDY\ DEOHWRWHOOKLPKHLVWKH WUDLQLQJLVQRWKDUGLW strongest strongman in just convinces you that WKHZRUOGWKHJUHDWHVW you are stronger. strong man ever. I was WKHJUHDWHVWRIP\WLPH WKDW·VDOO,FRXOGEHWKDW ZDV\HDUVDJR,ZRXOG  :KDWGR\RXWKLQN surely expect someone to is the future for up and EHEHWWHUQRZ$OWKRXJK coming lifters, young yesterday when he lifted lifters coming in? OEKHSUREDEO\FRXOG KDYHGRQHLWWZLFH :HOOWKH\RXQJ \HDUVDJR,GLGOE lifters that I’m going to ZLWKWRUQKDPVWULQJV WDONWRMXVWQRZDUHQRW VR,RQO\XVHGP\EDFN using suits or shirts or DQ\RIWKHKHDY\JHDU When I did the that’s the future of overhead press log powerlifting. world record my tricep KDGEHHQULSSHGRII and attached 4 months EHIRUH(LJKWZHHNV - Are you training after the injury I was now? competing in a meet DJDLQVWHYHU\ERG\LQD 1RWVRPXFKEXW,DP strongman competition SOD\LQJDORWRIJROI LQ(QJODQGVR,·YHJRW something special going on.  /DVWTXHVWLRQ your wishes to all powerlifters? - You took part in “There’s a balance of mind, +LJKODQG*DPHVGLG My wish is that they you like it? body and spirit and those all always set a PR and EHLQJVDWLVÀHGZLWKLQ I enjoyed the highland work together.” $QGZKHQWKH\ORRNLQWR JDPHVDQGWKHEDJ the mirror that they are pipes and the festive VDWLVÀHGZLWKZKRPWKH\ H[SHULHQFH0\ÀUVWWLPHWKHUH,EURNHWKHZRUOG DUHDQGWKH\DUHKDSS\DQGEDODQFHGLQWKHLU UHFRUGLQWKHEDUZHLJKWWKURZIRUKHLJKW OLIHKHDOWK\DQGOLYHORQJDQGSURVSHURXVDQG again I had great pulling strength and the weight that they constantly and positively affect their ZDVHDV\WRWKURZRYHUWKHEDU6RLWZDVIXQ communities and other people where ever they go every day. That’s my wish for them.

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That your perception of your reality is your

35 THE IPF MAGAZINE