For many athletes, the journey to the Olympic podium begins decades before the opening ceremonies. In some cases, countries will spend millions to scout, select, and develop future medalists. Others are found by happenstance, as was the case for Greek weightlifter Pyrros Dimas.

By Olympic pedigree, Dimas is widely regarded as the most accomplished Olympic lifter in history, having won three consecutive gold medals plus one bronze in weightlifting between 1992 and 2004. But as Dimas tells it, he wasn’t called to greatness or abducted by a bureaucracy — he was just really, really strong for his age.

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In a Jul. 22, 2024 interview with strongman Martins Licis, Dimas, 52, recounted his origins in weightlifting and the “moment” he recognized his life would change forever.

Pyrros Dimas: From Burglary to Barbells

“I was picking fruit from a house near my school,” Dimas says as he describes his childhood in Tirana, Albania. “A coach saw me there. I was worried he was the owner of the house.”

The man was a weightlifting coach who pitched then-7-year-old Dimas on trying out for the sport. The coach, not mentioned by name, met with Dimas’ parents for their blessing to introduce him to the barbell after school. He took to it quickly.

200-Pound Squats at Age 7

In countries with robust, nationwide youth athlete development systems, prospects are allocated to different Olympic sports based on their aptitude in basic fitness tests like sprinting, jumping, and bodyweight exercises.

Dimas, who had no inclination toward Olympic lifting, displayed extraordinary muscular strength on his very first day of instruction.

“I remember doing 90-kilogram (198.4-pound) squats on my first day,” Dimas recalls. “Everyone was confused. ‘What is this?’ They asked.”

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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the average 8-year-old boy weighs between 46 and 78 pounds — Dimas, without any strength training experience, squatted roughly 2.5 times his own weight. If that’s not a north star for a would-be weightlifting athlete, what is?

Is Weightlifting Safe for Children?

Dimas credited his uncommon levels of strength at a young age to having a very active childhood. “I was chosen because the coach noticed my legs. I walked all day and played soccer,” he explains.

A high daily step count and team sports are hallmarks of a healthy routine for a child, but what about lifting weights? Contrary to popular belief, weightlifting — and even testing a 1-rep max — is not dangerous for children:

One scientific review from 2009 concluded, “Participation in almost any type of sport or recreational activity carries a risk of injury … A well-supervised strength training program has no greater inherent risk than any other youth sport or activity.” (1)

A 1993 study of junior Olympic weightlifters recorded that the muscular strength gained from proper strength training can improve bone mineral density and physical resilience. (2)

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“Physical resilience” certainly helped propel Dimas, a Greek national, from the streets of Albania into the history books. Dimas famously won three gold medals at the ’92, ’96, and ’00 Olympic Games, plus a bronze-medal finish in ’04 in front of a home crowd in Athens, Greece.

Dimas recalls placing his lifting shoes on the platform — a traditional gesture for weightlifters — to signal his retirement from competitive weightlifting. He received a “13-minute” standing ovation: “The people gave me the real gold medal.”

Since 2017, Dimas has served as the Technical Director for USA Weightlifting and will coach the five American weightlifters performing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris between Aug. 7 and 11. He continues to perform squats.

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Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise noted on specific content projects. 

Featured Image: @pyrrospyrros / Instagram

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