HE'S STRONG TO THE FINISH, CAUSE HE EATS NO SPINACH!

     Yes, it's been a full week since my last post. My apologies to those of you who actually really do read this with your morning coffee. I was away at a conference last week and there was no time to write, but I'm back with one of the most ridiculous stories that I've read in a while. Okay, who am I kidding? Every story that I write about is absolutely ridiculous. Let's just say that this one is right up there. 

     I'm sure that we all remember Popeye, the sailor man, right? One of Popeye's most notable traits was his bulging forearms, which he attained from rowing a boat for so many years out at sea. His other was his dislike of spinach, though it gave him strength. Well, meet Matthias "Hellboy" Schlitte. He's known as a German 'Popeye' because he was born with one gigantic bicep and forearm and now he is excelling in his dream job as a professional arm wrestler. And he's doing it all without the use of spinach! 

     Schlitte has not only taked the Vice World championship crown, but he is now cashing in on his fame by starring in TV commercials around the world. The 27-year-old strong-arm, from the tiny village of Haldensleben in Germany, first realized that he had abnormal strength in his right arm when he was only 3. He said that his family had this oven that needed coals to cook with and he would pick up rather large buckets of coal and carry it around for his mother, which was probably very uncommon for a child that was 3. Blessed with this bulging 18-inch bicep, it wasn't until he was 16 that he discovered he can use his arm to make a living. He would enter an arm wrestling competition in a local bar, where he said he was "laughed at" when he walked into the venue. He added that no one was laughing after he beat all the men in the bar. Those laughs changed to respect and the rest became history. 

     Since that fateful night in the bar, Schlitte won eight German national championships, 14 international tournaments and became the youngest ever victor of the Sylvester Stallone-inspired "Over The Top" event. He's also even beaten a robot specially designed for arm wrestling.  When he was asked whether he would prefer to have been with normal arms, he responded with the fact that he wouldn't change a single thing about his life. Schlitte says, "I have spent 10 years traveling around the world doing what I love. Everyone has a challenge in life. I'm not a religious guy or anything, but this was a gift from a higher power and this was my calling in life." I really have nothing to say about this, but wow! I guess "He am, what he am!" At first, I thought the picture was photoshopped, but if you Google this guy's name, there is actual YouTube video footage of him. I have to be honest; if I ever got into a fist fight with Schlitte, I might try to attack his left side before he can hit me with that sledgehammer because that does look like it can hurt. His left hook? Not so much!