Solesa inducted into Masters Hall of Fame

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Zdravko Solesa feels he's discovered the fountain of youth.

At 71, the North York resident and longtime weightlifter maintains a regular training schedule and harbours no plans to slow down.

In fact, his most recent honour - a place in the Canadian Masters Weightlifting Hall of Fame - is another part of the journey.

"It's something of a dream," said Solesa as he put his hand to his chest. "It's a really good feeling."

Solesa, a native of the former Yugoslavia, has been weightlifting for 53 years. Over that time-span, he has built himself an impressive resume.

The five-foot-two lightweight, who currently does much of his training at York University, got his first taste of international competition in Austria in 1957. He is a multiple-time Yugoslavian champion and once held an eight-year record in Yugoslavia for his 90.5 kg snatch, a particularly difficult lift in which the participant moves the weight from the floor to over the shoulders in one explosive movement. That same record would stand for another eight years in the breakaway Republic of Serbia.

He made the best of his modest circumstances while living in Yugoslavia.

"There were no buildings to train in. There was little heat in the buildings, and in the winter I would train in below zero temperatures," he said.

A father of three, Solesa immigrated to Canada in 1977. Representing his new country, he became a 10-time Canadian Masters Weightlifting champion and holds several age-group records in Canada for both the clean and jerk and the snatch. He also represented Canada in the Pan American Masters Weightlifting Championship where he earned himself two gold, four silver and two bronze medals.

Solesa has had a remarkable weightlifting career as a Canadian, but his road to the Hall of Fame wasn't an easy one. On many occasions he would come close to reaching new heights only to have his opportunity squandered by an injury or a minor violation.

In 2005, Solesa lost the bronze medal at the World Masters Athletic Games in Edmonton due to a small weight gain. In 2006, he competed in Oklahoma for his first powerlifting competition, where he successfully squatted an impressive 110 kg, which would have been a new record. The lift was disqualified, however, because he moved his foot one inch during the lift.

Recently, Solesa missed the World Championships in Hungary due to an shoulder injury five days prior his departure.

"I was training in Collingwood in preparation for the event," he recalled. "On my last lift I dislocated my shoulder. I was in a lot of pain, but worst of all I wasn't going to Hungary."

In addition to weightlifting, Solesa has a pair of fourth-place finishes in swimming (2004) and walking (2006) events from the Ontario Senior Games.

But when asked about his greatest achievement, Solesa points to his education. While weightlifting three times a week in Yugoslavia, Solesa completed a degree in mechanical engineering. He also managed to serve in the military where he was awarded the prestigious Order of Military Merit with Silver Sword for his service.

Despite his age, and the wear and tear associated with years of hard training, Solesa doesn't see any end in sight.

"People say that I look good," he said with a smile.