With an iron will and dogged enthusiasm this sick youth with a dream started on the road to complete recovery and a life of enviable health and strength.

So enthusiastic were his efforts that within two years from the birth of his dream, after intensive study and practise on weightlifting, he established the first school of Physical Culture in Camberwell, London.

It was at this school that the scientific weightlifting principles which are applied today were first tried.

W. A. Pullum realized in those early days that the lifting poundages reached by the 'stars' of the music-hall could be greatly increased by the application of scientific training methods.

Of course, to prove his point he had to attempt to become a great lifter himself. This was no mean feat in itself for a man caught in the deathly grip of consumption.

But on May 19th, 1906, he began his career as a world champion, by lifting to arms' length overhead a world record poundage of 2041b. at a bodyweight of only 1121b. This feat of strength caused quite a sensation at the time, as it had been thought impossible for a lifter of such exceptional light bodyweight to lift almost twice his own weight.

W. A. Pullum went on proving that his scientific training methods could produce weightlifters more powerful than it was possible to imagine.

At the age of 20 he started a weightlifting club at 5 Church Street, Camberwell. As a tribute to the 'strong-man' act which had given him his initial inspiration, he called it the Saxon Club. This same club is now the worldfamous Camberwell Weightlifting Club.

Possibly one of his most spectacular feats was to cure himself of the disease which had been threatening to send him to an early grave. Doctors had given no hope of a cure. They hadn't reckoned on this boy's strong will to live.

Here is an extract from a medical document dated 25th November, 1918: "This is to certify that W. A. Pullum has suffered during boyhood from pulmonary tuberculosis, meningitis, peritonitis and tubercular disease of the lower jaw.

"Today I have examined him and find that although certain marks, scars and other bone deformities are present, there is no doubt tubercular disease is completely arrested.

"I have no doubt that Mr. Pullum is an artificial strong man. By that I mean his present unique physical development and muscular strength are due entirely to physical culture and to the methods employed."

(signed) John Shaw, M.B., Ch.B.

During his career W. A. Pullum won 15 championships, 50 gold medals and 200 official World's and British Weightlifting records.

At a bodyweight of just over eight stone he was certainly a fantastic little strong-man.

JEANNETTE ALLEN, of Enfield, will be making

her third Britain appear-

ance on

April 24th.

Jeannette is current Miss S.E. Britain and

has always been placed

very high. Will this be her year?

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