ms 005

REAL1S1NG A BOYHOOL) AMBITION

Britain’s Champion Strong Man.

He was soon making public appearances under thc name ot " The Mighty Young Apollon,” taking the title from that grcat Strong-Man of France, Apollon. Tolson claimed to be the World’s Strongest Youth and being unable to get anyone to dispute his right to style himself in this way, he went one further and challenged anyone in England for the title of "Britain’s Champion Strong Man.”

Through the medium of “Health and Strength” a challenge was madę, the feats of strength to be as foltows: Bend the shortest square iron bar into horse shoe shape; bend the shortest square iron bar round the neck; lift with the teeth the heaviest Steel girder; whilst anyone wishing to include weight-lifting could add the two recognised strength feats : Two hands military press and the two hands dead lift. The side stake with this challenge was anything from £10 to £50, but no one thought himself capable of disputing Apollon’s claim.

He madę an appearance at the National Sporting Club, London,

on 15th March, 1927, when his performance was a great success. First he broke a heavy Steel chain with his fingers, then lifted, with the little finger to arm’s length overhead, a ring weight weighing ęiłdbs.; bent into horse-shoe shape a bar of BB mild Steel, 9} inchcs by 7/16th inches square; tore a new pack of piaying cards into quarters, whilst in the packet; drove a 6-inch nail into a plank of hard wood with his bare hands; then, in one straight puli, drew it out again with his teeth; supported twenty men on his chest with a bridge; broke a 6-in. nail whilst laying on the backs of two chairs; bent a bar of iron J-inch thick and 12-inches long around his bare neck.

He finished up his performance by indulging in a tug-of-war against twenty men, who were unable to shift him off his feet.

- 5 —