ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

By Peter Vuono

     All throughout history it seems, people have been fascinated with giants. It didn't seem to matter whether the giant's agenda was nefarious as in the case of Goliath or heroic as in the Irish legend of Finn McCool. The public couldn't get enough enjoyment in reading about and following the exploits of these larger than life entities.
     This author fully remembers the immense(no pun intended) popularity of Andre Rousimoff who was without a doubt one of the most popular wrestling stars of all time. I vividly remember him wrestling in venues ranging from the Boston Garden to a little defunct hall in Brockton, Ma. The crowd reaction was always the same; people couldn't get enough of their hero.
     I suppose it's because many of us project ourselves into the personalities and exploits of  the real life manifestations of the exciting tales we read as youngsters. Is it any wonder why Andre played a supporting role in the Princess Bride or that wrestler Kurgan was unforgettable in the movie "300"?
    Giants act a a venue or medium for us normal folk to escape(even though for a short time) into a personage of great power. This perhaps, is what intrigued me so much about my friend Steve Sanderson.
    In the early 80's I noticed Steve sitting with another titan of strength, Ted Arcidi, at a HS gym in Amesbury, Ma. Steve weighed a solid 325lbs. and had thighs (at about 36 inches in circumference) which rivaled the femur of an apatosaurus. Naturally, I had to talk to Steve who was very accommodating. We became friends and in 1983 I witnessed him doing a deep knee bend(squat) with 920lbs. on his back at the Boston YMCA! In the small fraternity that is powerlifting, Steve became a bonafide legend. However, Steve had giant qualities of the heart that went way beyond his physical strength. To this author, it is these traits that make him so remarkable.
   Steve never boasted and was always humble. He kept his ability somewhat secret and mostly gave accolades to others. I don't ever recall him using the pronoun "I" very often. I haven't seen him since 2009 but I know that if I needed him; he'd be there.
    There was one conversation, however, that I had with Steve, that I'll never forget. We had a mutual friend that we both loved pass on to the other side in April of 09. Shortly after the funeral, I called Steve wanting to talk to someone and trying to make sense of the passing of my friend, Joe.
    Steve very calmly and succinctly reminded me about Joe's eulogy. The priest mentioned that a baby cries when he comes into the world perhaps because he was in such a happy and secure place piror to birth However once he/she is accustomed to the new world, the new environment is a place of happiness and contentment. Steve was intimating that I should not worry about Joe as once he's accustomed to the new world, he too, would find peace.
   Physicist Sir Issac Newton once said,"If I can see further it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants". On that day in April my vision was made clearer thanks to the shoulders and friendship of a giant named Steve.