Paul Rutherford (powerlifter)

Paul Rutherford, born in Glasgow on 14 February 1970, is a Scottish powerlifter who has won the world title many times. A bout of meningitis in infancy damaged his immune system and stunted his growth, and after being bullied at school he began weight training, taking up powerlifting in 1985 at the age of 15 and a body weight of only 79 pounds. He competed as a junior until 1989 and won 11 championship titles between 1986 and 1990 before retiring. In 2007 he returned to the platform after watching the film Rocky Balboa, took silver at the European championships that year and bronze at the 2009 World Championships, then became World Powerlifting Champion in 2010 at the age of 41 and won again in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2021.