Lifter of the Month: Art Montini
by Al Myers
The Lifter of the Month for the first month of 2013 goes to ART MONTINI!
Art Montini (right) receiving his meet award at the 2013 Dino Gym Challenge from meet promoter Al Myers (left).
In the January, only one USAWA event was contested – The Dino Gym Challenge. This meet featured a selection of Old Time Strongman lifts (Anderson Squat, Hackenschmidt Floor Press, and the Peoples Deadlift). It was definitely a heavy-weight challenging competition of events. I was surprised to even see our “senior member” of the USAWA Art Montini show up to take on this type of meet. And not only did he complete all these joint-shearing lifts, he excelled in them! He put up great lifts: Anderson Squat 209 pounds, Hackenschmidt Floor Press 120 pounds, and Peoples Deadlift 306 pounds. Art at age 85, lifts like a man much younger and certainly was an inspiration to anyone who was fortunate to watch him on this day. That earned him the Lifter of the Month against a field of very strong younger lifters. Art also was one of the lifters who traveled the farthest for this meet (from Pittsburgh), which shows his dedication to the USAWA. Congrats Art – you earned it.