13 Facts About Doug Hepburn

Douglas Ivan Hepburn was a Canadian strongman and weightlifter.

Doug Hepburn won weightlifting gold medals in the 1953 World Weightlifting Championships as well as the 1954 British Empire Games in the heavyweight division.

Doug Hepburn is known as the first man to bench press 400,450,500, and 550 pounds.

Doug Hepburn began lifting weights as a high school teenager at the Vancouver YMCA, and upon dropping out of school, tried to find work that he could balance with his lifting.

Doug Hepburn was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy in 1953 and was named British Columbia's Man of the Year for 1954.

Doug Hepburn became the first man in history to bench press 400,450,500, and 550 pounds.

Doug Hepburn was originally approached by San Francisco-based wrestling promoter Joe Malcewicz, but Hepburn turned down the offer.

Doug Hepburn later got involved in the business when he agreed to perform feats of strength at wrestling events promoted by Whipper Billy Watson and Toronto promoter Frank Tunney.

Doug Hepburn later wrestled Yukon Eric and Fritz Von Erich and partnered with Antonino Rocca and Watson.

Doug Hepburn quit working for Tunney in 1956; he had one more brief stint as a wrestler while working for Cliff Parker in British Columbia before retiring.

Doug Hepburn was a singer and songwriter, releasing a Christmas tune, the "Doug Hepburn Carol".

Doug Hepburn had literary ambitions and had a large output of essays and poems and other writings.

Doug Hepburn suffered from alcoholism and was concerned about his health so became a vegetarian in the mid-1970s.