His nickname is “Fierce Pearce.” The name comes not from a hostile personality, but rather from the intensity he gives to his efforts. Bud Pearce is a competitive weight lifter. Physically, he is not an imposing character. But I’ve never met a good man that was best judged with a tape measure.

Bud was a student of mine at the University of Georgia. As a student, he was attentive, industrious, and open minded – although he could be of strong opinion on certain topics. At first glance, he just seems like an all-around good guy, but nothing remarkable. Looks can be deceiving.

There is an annual event at the University of Georgia: the Strongest Dawg contest. The winner is the person who can lift the most total weight over three events: squat, dead lifts, and bench press. You get three tries per event, with your highest weight recorded. I was honored that Bud thought enough of me to invite me to attend.

Being a novice at this competition, I spoke with Bud before the event to find out a bit about what would unfold and his strategies for success. He patiently explained the three events, as well as how he intended to approach them. His favorite was the first event: the squat. He felt that if he got a good start here, it would carry him through the events where he wasn’t as strong. Having to start with your ‘go-to’ event is never good as it doesn’t allow you to build momentum so you can play to your strengths, but I didn’t tell Bud this. I simply wished him luck and let him know I’d be rooting for him.

I was impressed with his pre-event preparation. He focused tightly on what needed to be done and appeared to have a comfortable preparatory routine. As he approached the bar, the eagerness and seriousness were evident in his eyes. He had worked for this and was relishing the opportunity to compete.

While he gave it a heroic effort, the outcome wasn’t what he hoped. To not perform your best on your best event at the start of the meet throws most people off and they never recover. Many resign themselves to not performing well for the rest of the competition. I was concerned for Bud.

Despite the lackluster squat, Bud kept a positive outlook and a strong conviction to give it his best. The second event, bench press, gained him sufficient results that he was in good position for a reasonable finish. Due to a previous commitment, I couldn’t see his last event. So afterward, Bud dropped me a note explaining his finish. His words put it best:
“Now, heading into dead lifts I knew I didn’t really have a shot for first place in my weight class, but there still were about 4 or 5 of us with a chance for second. Previously, my PR for dead lifts was 420. On my second attempt I pulled 415 with the normal level of difficulty that I figured it would be. 425 was going to be my third attempt, but after watching the others in my class and seeing what numbers they pulled, I figured out that
I had to pull 430 for second place all to myself. So, I cranked up the ipod and focused…

As I pulled this weight off the ground, several things were running through my mind. First, as soon as I began pulling I realized that this weight was by the far the heaviest weight I had ever felt. Second, my left hand was quickly losing its’ grip on the bar. And third, after about halfway up, I knew my form and technique were shot and there might be a chance the judges fault this lift. However, in my mind the only thing I cared about was finishing! I pulled and pulled and pulled…finally I got to the upright position and all three judges gave me a green card! That might have been one of the best feelings of my life. The entire dead lift probably took me about 10 seconds to finally finish, but as I told you earlier, I would rather pass out before I failed…”

In reading Bud’s rendition of his performance, I was reminded of the words of heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Dempsey, who said “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” Bud lifted a weight far heavier than any he held before, with a grip that was quickly collapsing and a technique that brought him to the edge of disqualification. But in his words reside the keys to his success: “…the only thing I cared about was finishing.” With a singular focus on one goal only, to finish, nothing else mattered, not form, not fatigue, not fragility. Within Bud “Fierce” Pearce beats the heart of a champion.

And while on that day there was one other person who ultimately lifted more weight than Bud, there was no one who gave more to his effort. And at the end of a day, can we ask of ourselves any more than our very best? The legendary football coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant believed that “If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit, you’ll be a winner.” Clearly, by that measure, Bud Pearce is a winner – he walks among the strongest Dawgs.