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Strongman will pull kids

By Deborah Sederberg, The News-Dispatch

The Michigan City Family YMCA is looking for a few good kids, maybe 100 or so.

Greg Tuel, president of the YMCA board, said 100 kids will have an opportunity to be passengers in a bus pulled by a human dynamo.

Bill “Kaz” Kazmaler, who three times has been named the “World's Strongest Man,” will be the special guest at the eighth annual YMCA Healthy Kids Day 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the YMCA.

“Kaz will pull a bus with 100 kids in it,” Tuel said. The first 100 youngsters at the Y on Saturday will be the ones to ride on the human-powered bus.

In addition, Healthy Kids Day, which is designed for families to have fun, will include a Moonwalk, food, prizes, magicians, balloon tricks and health information courtesy of St. Anthony Memorial.

Home-based businesses, representatives of the fire and police departments, social service agencies and health care providers will available for information and health screenings.

Demonstrations of baton twirling and Tae Kwon Do, lake safety and fitness techniques will be available as well as the fire department's demonstration smoke house and face paintings.

A free family swim will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. to families. Youngsters must be accompanied by a parent for the swim.

Participants will receive various give-aways and they will be eligible for a bike raffle.

For more information, call the Y at 872-9622.

Contact reporter Deborah Sederberg at dsederberg@thenewsdispatch.com.

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Healthy kids day at the Y was a great success. The parking lots were overflowing with kids and people checking out the festivities. Thanks to all who stopped by, and hopefully we see you all again soon!

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Kazmaier visits YMCA
By Rick A. Richards, The News-Dispatch

Bill Kazmaier may be a mountain of man, but his intimidation factor hardly registers. Saturday at the Michigan City Family YMCA, children flocked to Kazmaier, billed as the World's Strongest Man.

And that's no boast, either. In 1980, 1981 and 1982, Kazmaier won the World's Strongest Man competition. And until 2006 when 35-year-old Phil Pfister of Charleston, W.Va., won the title, Kazmaier was the last American to hold the World's Strongest Man title.

After winning his third consecutive World's Strongest Man competition - the first person to accomplish that - he tore his pectoral muscle, an injury that still affects him today.

The injury forced him to retire, although he attempted a comeback in 1988, when he finished second, and in 1989 when he finished fourth.

At the YMCA on Saturday, Kazmaier was the star attraction for Healthy Kids Day. As promised, Kaz (as his friends call him), spread the word about the benefits of the YMCA, healthy living and Jesus Christ. He then helped put 75 children into a bus in the parking lot, and with help from the Y's Jacki Daniel, put a harness around his neck and pulled the bus down the main drive.

“I enjoy getting out to communities like this and spreading the word about fitness and healthy living and Jesus Christ,” said Kazmaier afterwards.

“I do this dozens and dozens of times a year,” he said. “I like to say that I leave a community in better shape than when I found it. I like to say I'm the Johnny Appleseed of fitness.”

While he was in Michigan City, Kazmaier also did a demonstration at St. Paul Lutheran School.

Greg Tuel, president of the board for the YMCA, said getting Kazmaier to come to Healthy Kids Day was a big plus for the organization. The YMCA is going through a difficult financial time and Tuel said any way the word about the benefits of the organization can be spread is beneficial.

“I love seeing all the cars and people here today,” said Tuel. “This is great.”

Bringing Kazmaier to Michigan City came about through the help of fitness equipment maker Star Trac, which recently supplied the Y with weightlifting equipment. Kazmaier is a spokesman for the company, said Adam Maloney, a territory manager for the company.

Maloney accompanies Kazmaier to many of his community visits, and was at the Y on Saturday doing all the prep work so Kazmaier could pull the bus.

Kazmaier, 53, grew up in Burlington, Wis., and did all the usual sports in high school. He received a scholarship to play fullback at the University of Wisconsin, but, he said, “it wasn't for me.” He flirted with the possibility of playing in the NFL for his home state Green Bay Packers, but he tore up his shoulder and any dreams of playing football went with it.

While training for football, Kazmaier found his passion - weightlifting. He decided to see what he could do as a powerlifter and in 1979, at the age of 25, he won the American Powerlifting Championship and, four years later, won the IPF World Championship in the superheavyweight class.

As he was training as a powerlifter, he said he prayed to the Lord to help him become the best, and two years later, when he won, he followed through on his promise to spread the word about Jesus Christ.

“When people ask me how I do it, I always tell them I'm not alone. He's always with me,” said Kazmaier.

The numbers Kazmaier posted as a powerlifter are phenomenal. For years, his powerlifting total of 2,425 pounds was a world record. Individually, his best lifts were 925 pounds in the squat, 907 pounds in the deadlift and 661 pounds in the bench press.

He's dabbled in other sports, too. In 1991, he challenged Lex Luger for the World Championship Wrestling heavyweight title, but lost. He also teamed with Rick Steiner and lost the WCW World Tag Team title to The Enforcers.

His legend as a World's Strongest Man competitor resulted in his likeness being included in “Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne” video game, where he is featured as the hero, “The Strongest Man Ever.”

Today, Kazmaier is a commentator on ESPN for the World' Strongest Man competitions.

Contact City Editor Rick A. Richards at rrichards@thenewsdispatch.com.