(written by Ron L’Huillier)
Happy 70th Birthday to my good friend, and founder of the WABDL, Gus Rethwisch. Gus ran some of the strongest meets ever (the Hawaiian Record Breaker meets back in the 80’s), and started the WABDL in 1999 to some degree of trepidation from some who saw him as a renegade.
The WABDL has since become home to some of the strongest drug tested Bench Presser’s and Deadlifter’s in the world.
Gus has devoted his life competing (in the early years), and promoting powerlifting. I personally feel he is one of the most under rated people in Powerlifting in terms of what he has done for the sport.
Here is a bit of trivia for you younger lifters. Gus has played parts in The Running Man (1987 – Buzzsaw), Twins (1988) and The Scorpion King (2002), and was once considered one of the strongest men in the World. I do not believe he ever won a movie fight though, as he was always cast as the bad guy. In real life his occasional gruff exterior may make some people think he is unapproachable. Nothing could be further from the truth. Gus would never admit this, but he has a huge heart. He would do anything to help a friend.
