Impact Story October 2018

Stronger than you Think: A Passion for Power

Dave Van Brocklin didn’t always dream of becoming the powerlifting champion and Hall of Famer he is today. In fact, he started out as an eighth grader looking to gain some strength to make the high school football team and his uncle, Norman Van Brocklin, the third best football player to ever live, was his inspiration. With that in mind, his dad bought him a set of 100 lb barbells that he used to work out in his garage. Lifting became his passion and his stress reliever from there on out. It wasn’t until college that Dave realized he wasn’t cut out to be a pro football player and after seeing an article about the world’s strongest man in a magazine, he eventually switched sports to try his hand at Olympic weightlifting. 

He spent a lot of time devoting himself to the sport, but eventually came to the same conclusion as he did with football. He wasn’t strong enough to compete in the Olympics as a weightlifter, so he turned to powerlifting, the avenue that would lead him to lift heavier weights and enhance his strength. Powerlifting is a sport of a different style, working different ranges of muscles and brining out different strengths and weaknesses in Van Brocklin than had football or Olympic weightlifting. The sport consists of three different lift styles: the squat, bench press, and deadlift, each working a different set of muscles and unlike Olympic weightlifting, the weights remained below eye level.

Dave has had the privilege of competing all over the world in powerlifting, first starting locally and then progressing through the ranks until he began travelling overseas to places such as South Africa. He finally earned his induction into the Powerlifting Hall of Fame in 2006 with his best lifts equaling that of an “elite total.” His elite total consisted of a squat with a weight of 716 lbs, a bench press of 446 lbs, and a dead lift of 606 lbs. Combined he lifted 1,788 lbs that day. Throughout it all, his family, primarily his two daughters and grandchildren, of whom he is immensely proud of, have been his motivation for both his powerlifting career as well as all his aspirations in life. 

Now, after having been retired for fifteen years, he lifts less weight than he used to, but don’t let that fool you. He still shows up to the YMCA almost daily, never taking a break from his workouts. Although he has had to adapt to the equipment at the gym, he still gives his workouts 100% of his devotion and dedication stating, “I’ll probably workout ‘til the day I die” and his favorite quote being the classic, “No pain, no gain.”

Dave has been a part of the TOWPATH TRAIL YMCA for eleven months after having moved here from California. When asked what his favorite memory from his powerlifting career is, he responds with all the people that he has met along the way. Some of them have passed away and others are still lifting competitively, but there’s not a person that he regrets working out with. Although they all come from different backgrounds and have different personalities, when they come together to workout at the gym, they are a brotherhood that refuses to be forgotten and one that seems to stand the tests of time. 

Out of it all, Dave hopes that people will take away motivation from his story. The motivation to keep striving for what you want in life, whatever that may be, and to never quit until you’ve accomplished your goal. He emphasizes the idea of being your own motivation and sticking to your goals even when there are days when you would rather throw in the towel and go home. He says, “Sometimes you have to be your own motivation because not everyone understands why you are doing something, so you’ve gotta go get it yourself.” 
 

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.
2 Chronicles 15:7

By Emma Stefanick

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