By Tiffany Merlo Phelps
mail@floridanewsline.com

The retirement years look a little different in Stu Levin’s world. That’s because he powerlifts and arm wrestles competitively, something he began in his early 70s. Now 79 and a world champion, he continues to compete in both sports all around the world and works out three hours each day, five days a week, to do so. Levin moved to Florida in 2004 and retired from a 36-year career in the legal field around 2010. His interest in fitness began when his son introduced him to the Brown Family YMCA in Ponte Vedra Beach. Levin, who is from Atlantic City, NJ, started to focus on weightlifting, specifically the bench press and the strict curl, which ended up complementing his future arm wrestling career. In 2015, Stu and his wife Alice Levin attended a Renaissance Fair in Tampa where he entered a local novice arm wrestling contest just for fun. He took home first place with both his right and left hand. Around the same time, Stu’s life changed drastically when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. After a 10-hour surgery in March 2016, and then radiation and chemotherapy, Stu began a very slow recovery. Today he is cancer free and credits Alice for his health. “The fact of the matter is she saved my life,” he said, adding that she was an excellent caregiver. After losing 65 pounds and much of his strength, Stu started to slowly train again in 2017. He ultimately made a return to both sports and has traveled to compete in Poland, France and Malaysia with Alice. He competes in the ultra-grand master category (70 plus) and has won 18 gold national titles, and three gold, six silver and two bronze in the World Championships (all International Federation of Armwrestling or IFA). In 2021, he broke the strict curling world record in a powerlifting competition in the 165-pound weight class and the 75 – 79-year-old age group. In powerlifting, he also earned two gold and two silver awards in the World Championships (100 Percent Raw Powerlifting Federation). Stu now has his sights set on Greece in September for the IFA 2024 World Championships where he will be defending his right arm and seeking a gold for his left. 

Q: How did joining Team Jacksonville in Middleburg with Coach Chuck Westberry help you improve in arm wrestling? 

A: If you want to learn, they will teach you. I went out there to learn, and it worked. After the practice, I wrote down what they told me, and, little by little, you start to put it together. When I was a novice, I did not know how to arm wrestle, I just won on strength. They taught me the sport. 

Q: What are the differences in the way you compete in arm wrestling and weightlifting? 

A: Weightlifting is singular. You are on a bench. It is just you and the weight. Your competition is that bar. In arm wrestling, when you are at a table, you have another individual across from you. You look them in the eye, and they try to stare you down or intimidate you. I find it really interesting, the personalities. Off the table, they are the most wonderful people in the world, friendly, family men. But when they get to the table, their personalities change.

Q: How did having esophageal cancer change your outlook on life? 

A: I am a little more accommodating now. Things that used to bother me, don’t bother me anymore. It gives you a different perspective when you face your own mortality. 

Q: What do you like to do when you are not working out and competing? 

A: I love to cook, and I love to spend time with my grandchildren. I have two adult children and four grandchildren. 

Q: What is your approach to life? 

A: The focus of my life is and has always been my family. My career was important but was secondary to my family. What I am doing now is something that I like to do but it is not the focus of my life — it is my family.

Photo courtesy Tiffany Merlo Phelps
Stu Levin 

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