Doug Hepburn

Competition record
Doug Hepburn
Competitor for  Canada
Men's Weightlifting
World Weightlifting Championships
Gold	1953 Stockholm	+90 kg
Commonwealth Games
Gold	1954 Vancouver	+90 kg

Doug Ivan Hepburn (September 16, 1926 – November 22, 2000) was a Canadian world-champion weightlifter.

Born in Vancouver with a club foot and cross-eyed, Hepburn overcame these handicaps, setting a Canadian record for weightlifting in 1950 and winning gold medals at the 1953 world championships in Stockholm and the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. He was named British Columbia's Man of the Year for 1954.

Like his father and stepfather, he battled with alcoholism, and this combined with depression made for a hard private life. After his successes as a weightlifter, he became a professional wrestler. He was originally approached by San Francisco-based wrestling promoter Joe Malcewicz, but Hepburn turned down the offer. He later got involved in the business when he agreed to perform feats of strength at wrestling events promoted by Whipper Billy Watson. In January 1955, he signed what was announced as a five-year contract with Toronto promoter Frank Tunney. After being trained by Watson and Pat Frayley, Hepburn defeated Frank Marconi in his debut match on March 22 that year. He later faced such wrestlers as Fritz Von Erich. Hepburn did not enjoy wrestling, however, and stated that he put little effort into developing as a competitor. Hepburn ultimately quit working for Tunney; he had one more brief stint as a wrestler while working for Cliff Parker in British Columbia before retiring.^[1]

Hepburn opened a gym at the age of 37. Perhaps inspired with his own battles against addiction, Hepburn became a strong advocate of drug-free athletics.

Hepburn was a singer and songwriter, releasing a Christmas tune, the "Hepburn Carol". He had literary ambitions and had a large output of essays and poems and other writings. In his later years, he custom built gym equipment and marketed protein powder and other sports supplements.

Hepburn died of a perforated ulcer at age 74. He has been inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (1953), Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (1955), and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame (1966).

References

1. ^ Oliver, Greg (2005-12-09). "The reluctant career of strongman Doug Hepburn". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/12/09/1346332.html. Retrieved 2009-12-08. 

Awards
Preceded by George Genereux	Lou Marsh Trophy winner 1953	Succeeded by Marilyn Bell

Persondata
Name	Hepburn,Doug
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 16, 1926
Place of birth
Date of death	November 22, 2000
Place of death