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Friday, September 11, 2009

The World's Strongest Librarian


Never let it be said that all librarians are alike. Librarians come in all shapes and sizes, and both genders, too. And if when you hear the phrase "male librarian" you envision a bespectacled, 98-pound weakling, you might want to take that up with the man who calls himself "The World's Strongest Librarian." Then again, you might not.

Josh Hanagarne is the director of a public library located in the Rose Park section of Salt Lake City, Utah. He does wear glasses. He is also 6 feet, 8 inches tall and his hobby is weightlifting. Serious weightlifting.

In his office at the library you'll find the sledgehammer he uses to pound nails. (Great for strengthening the wrists.) He also keeps two kettlebells handy. These cast iron weights look like cannonballs with handles. The light one is 53 pounds. Its heavier companion weighs in at 70. Competitive kettlebell lifting involves hefting these hunks of cast iron overhead. Repeatedly. For ten minutes. Unless you're Hercules, don't try this at home.

Josh credits his intensive workouts with making it possible for him to become a librarian. He's suffered from a severe case of Tourette's Syndrome since he was a teenager. (He once shouted so loudly during an episode that he sustained an abdominal hernia.) This condition impaired his concentration to such a degree that it took him ten years to graduate from college. Once he began weightlifting, Josh found that the discipline, focus, and will it required enabled him to gain control of his body and his mind. He completed his Master's Degree in Library Science in only one year.

The World's Strongest Librarian is now determined to help others overcome obstacles using his two favorite pastimes: reading and exercise. He is the author of a blog where book reviews and fitness tips are equally at home. And his Stronger, Smarter, Better online newsletter has over 200 subscribers. As Josh reported to The Salt Lake Tribune, he believes that "When you're in a situation you cannot control, you must introduce something you can control. And once you start your day doing something like lifting weights, anything that follows seems easy."

Posted by Nancy Mattoon

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