Home Town: Columbus, OH Years Lifting: 17 Years Coaching: 6 Current weight class: 94kg Certifications: Sr. Coach, Working on a Regional, CPR certified Style- Bulgarian, “hip-shot and pull under” Sort of a minimalist training style methodology Mentors/Methodology:
meet coaching and judging athlete’s daily potential Bob Takano: All around technique and training methodology, “Just snatch and clean and jerk, everything else is just noise” Frayser Fergusen (co-holder of 1970’s worlds): 1st coach Current influences: Don McCauley, Lou Demarco
Athlete’s produced:
Personal Accomplishments:
“When I first wanted to get involved with O-lifting I really didn't know much about it. I did a few power cleans in high school for football, but nothing that really looked good nor was there emphasis on them --- our back squat at school was probably a high bar parallel squat at best.
But one day at 25 years old while working a regular job I just woke up one day and decided I wanted to know more about the Olympic lifts. I called around in the city of Columbus, OH asking what places allowed chalk and only one did in the city... that place was O'Briens Health club, which I had, many years ago, worked out just doing bench press' and the like for about one summer.
Well, it had moved and was in another part of the city. The first day I walked in and signed up and asked where I could do cleans and snatches and was told that was down stairs. I did a few cleans with 60 kilos on an old bar and thought, well, I guess I'll figure this out in due time. I thought snatches were done with the arms completely straight the whole time!!!!
Meanwhile this gentleman comes down the stairs and starts watching me perform cleans. This coach as it turns out was none other than Fraysher Ferguson. Fraysher was an icon in the Columbus Area for many years. Fraysher helped Jim Lorimer hold the 1970 World Championships in Columbus Ohio where Alexeev went over the 500 pound mark and in addition, Frayser worked with 10-TV doing an exercise show ala Jack LaLanne.
Fraysher was quite the athlete himself and so was his whole family. Fraysher just missed out on the 1936 Olympics placing just behind Harold Sakata...or known as odd job in the bond film...Goldfinger. Fraysher has some old pictures of him one arm pressing 275 lbs and pressing 200 for ten reps.... think about that for a second. it was the bent arm press.
My lifting career went from there and I would consider my accomplishments as average.
as far as when I showed up in Columbus again in latter 1999, 2000, that is when I called over to Westside barbell to ask them if anyone knew of an Olympic Weightlifting club in town. That person, Dave B. told me about Dan Bell and I was there the next day training...the rest is history..”
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