This interview was done on March 5th, 2007. Archie was 80 years young.
I decided to repost it as a visual story to keep his memory alive.
From Odd-lifts to Power-lifting: Boston’s weight lifting pioneer Archie Burgess.
“At first I was attracted to physique and odd lifts contests but quickly learned that the judge’s decisions were biased. Unfortunately, this was a time of bigotry and despite winning numerous odd lifts contests I could not win the physique competitions. It was always 3rd or 4th place.
My mentor at the time was Val Boston, a body builder and wellness coach at the YMCA of greater Boston Central Branch. He thought I should focus on power lifts competition because it was based on how much you could lift and not physique. No judge could deny you first place if you lift more than your competitors.” – Archie B.
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