THUNDER BAY — Dan Plexman did the heavy lifting, but he's anxious not to take all the credit for his recent success at a global armwrestling competition.
The Thunder Bay man won a gold medal in his weight class using his left arm, and another gold while using his right arm, at the International Federation of Armwrestling world chamionships in Greece.
This is the third year in a row he has emerged victorious.
Plexman said he works hard to keep in shape, but he's grateful to have the backing of the Canadian Union of Skilled Workers as a sponsor, and fellow members and coaches at the Thunder Bay Giant Armwrestling Club.
"It's not like anything else. I'm very fortunate to have very good support," he said.
Now working as a union representative for CUSW, he's come a long way since a near-fatal jobsite accident at Red Lake in 2008.
Plexman suffered severe burns to 60 per cent of his body, and faced the prospect of losing both arms to amputation.
Recovery required multiple medical procedures and therapy over the years, including treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, but he found the strength to get through.
He couldn't have done it, he said, without Matt Shaw and Allison Walter at the Hand and Upper Limb Clinic in Thunder Bay who pulled him "out of many dark and dreary days during the rough years of recovery," adding "They saved my life just as much as the paramedics in the ambulance or the surgeons who pieced me together."
Although competing at the age of 51 against elite athletes from around the world is physically challenging, Plexman said staying within his weight class can be even more difficult.
"I compete at the 80 kg weight division which is 176 pounds. Typically, I walk around at 190 to 196 pounds, so I have to drop 15 to 20 to get into that weight category. I'll do that by dropping water weight. We call it a water cut."
He explained that when he's at 195 pounds, he'll have one meal a day to cut his calories for about a month, and when he gets to within 10 pounds of the target he's able to lose five per cent of his body weight in water without causing any physical damage or losing strength.
Plexman only took up the sport five years ago, and at the time he considered it just another form of physiotherapy for the permanent injuries he received in the workplace accident.
He has told his story of survival at speaking engagements around North America to let others know they too can heal from disasters and experience personal growth.
When he returns to Thunder Bay later this month, Plexman will continue training in preparation for a November tournament in Ottawa that will attract about 1,000 athletes.
NOTE: This story has been updated to include additional information about the support Dan Plexman has received over the years as he worked to recover from his injuries
