ChasingKaz - July 29, 2007

This past week saw the passing of a great Strongman: Jesse Marunde. He was a talented athlete who had achieved much in our quickly growing sport, all before the age of 28. He was a charismatic figure, exciting crowds and making friends wherever he competed.

As usual, he and his training partners were pushing themselves to the absolute limits when tragedy struck. After a particularly brutal set of squats, he lay down, and despite the great efforts of friends and paramedics, died.

When we are young men, we often joke when others remind us of the danger of heavy training. The strains it places on the body are unique and often unhealthy. But the people who accept the challenge of this sport are, they themselves, unique. They see the world through different eyes than the average man. Never wanting to quit or let a weight get the better of them becomes an obsession; and one that is not easy to walk away from. Marunde was one of these men. He sought to constantly improve and looked to become a superior competitor and a stronger man with each passing day.

As someone who seeks to walk the same path as he had, I would be lying if I said this week has not made me take stock of my life. I've replaced a well-paying career with a more rewarding, more flexible one. My wife has given up weekends to travel with me to contests, and we have lost countless hours of time together to my training. I've been hurt, defeated, and depressed, but through it all I have never questioned my decision to pursue strongman at an elite level. Now the risks of permanent damage or death have become real. One of the best has paid the ultimate price, and I am not as talented as he.

It is impossible to ask him if it was worth it. To forgo a normal life and a regular job; to purposely inflict pain on yourself; to sacrifice and keep doing it day in and day out. I don't think he would have any other answer than a resounding, "Yes, of course it was." He was living his dream, and you could see it in his eyes. He knew that to be great and achieve amazing things is one of life's best rewards, and to impact people in a positive way is one of the greatest accomplishments any man can achieve.

So tomorrow at noon when my crew and I begin loading up the farmers walk bars and warming up on the light tire, I'll thank Jesse Marunde with my actions by doing the best I can and working harder toward my goal. I'll press without fear, I'll pull without trepidation, and I'll rest more briefly than usual. I'll do it out of respect and admiration for a man I never met. A man who lived his dream and his life to the fullest: Jesse Marunde, a very strong man.

Posted by Mike Gill at 1:24 PM