FROM POYS: THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE'S STATEMENT GIVEN TO THE DELAWARE NEWS JOURNAL ABOUT POYS FOUNDER AL THOMPSON IS FALSE

This is the statement the University of Delaware submitted to the Delaware News Journal (delawareonline) that was contained in the article run on March 18, 2024, written by Kevin Tresolini about attempts by POYS to get a meeting to discuss the school's promotion of a condemned steroid event, IMG's "World's Strongest Man."

The school refused to allow any coach, school official or member of the UD Police Department to speak to the Delaware News Journal's reporter. Why? 

"Upon review of their records, UD Police confirmed that Mr. Thompson was interviewed in Summer 2023 as part of an investigation into complaints of harassment of University of Delaware employees. The investigation revealed that Mr. Thompson had contacted many UD employees on multiple occasions over several months. Mr. Thompson was advised by UD Police not to contact the victims by email, phone calls, in person, or by a third party. The Victim’s Bill of Rights prohibits UD Police from providing specific information about victims."

This statement is fiction. Here is what actually happened:

On March 18, 2024, On March 18, 2024 Delaware News Journal published a fair article on POYS pushing back on the University of Delaware's open support for IMG/Endeavor's rebuked-for-steroids competition "World's Strongest Man.

The article focuses on the struggles I had, as founder of POYS and an endorser of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, in getting an official for the athletic department or the iconic university to grant me a meeting so I could give my presentation on the dangers of steroid use and about the harm those who promote and glorify steroid use to do to our youth. 

My first email was in late April 2023 and was addressed to the athletic director, the UD head strength coach and President Assanis. 

I never directly contacted the UD assistant strength coach who was competing in the condemned, steroid-themed event, obviously the reason UD promoted the steroid competition that has seen many fatalities over the years from causes associated with steroid use...several of these deaths have been confirmed by a coroner to have happened because long term steroid use. 

My only reason for contacting the school was because it had promoted these events which POYS believes is an act of normalizing steroid use.   

These very one-sided communications went on for several months between myself and senior university officials. I did receive replies from the assistant to UD President Dennis Assanis.

In late August I received a call from a rookie UD policeman Samuel Culver who claimed at first I was under investigation by the University of Delaware Police Department over harassment claims that included President Assanis.

Officer Culver gave me his email address and wanted me to send him all the emails I had received from school officials including Assanis.

I told Officer Culver his request made no sense. He was asking me for materials he would already have if I was under investigation.

At this point Culver gave in and admitted he was just calling on behalf of the assistant strength coach, apparently because they were friends. "He didn't like your posters," Culver said.

This hoax call I believe and the interest from the local FBI office about Culver's call, is the reason - in my opinion - is how the article in the Delaware News Journal was started.
  
The school refused to allow its coaches, administrators or campus policemen answer any questions about POYS pushing back on the iconic school's public support that is known for allowing steroid use among its competitors.

The statement the University of Delaware sent to the Delaware News Journal is completely false - it is fiction and the school refuses to comment on that. 


Here are segments of the email I sent to President Assanis' office and other top officials in early October 2023 reporting the phone incident, my interview with the FBI agent who dispatched an agent to the UD Police Department.
   
This is what happened. You can easily see why I demanded a retraction from the University of Delaware. 


UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE POLICE DEPARTMENT ADMITS CALL FROM OFFICER CULVER WAS A FALSE CLAIM

I simply asked for a meeting...four months later, on August 24, 2023, I get a hoax call from University police officer Samuel Culver who started the call stating his name and that he was a police officer "investigating" complaints from the University about me harassing University staff...I am paraphrasing some of the conversation...

I asked him if President Assanis made the complaint...Officer Culver said "no."  

I asked him if AD Chrissi Rawak made the complaint...Officer Culver said "no."

I asked him if head strength and conditioning coach Chris Stewart made the complaint...officer Culver said "no."

I asked Officer Culver who exactly is complaining about me. He said it was Tom Evans and after a few minutes said he was calling because Mr. Evans "didn't like the posters." Mr. Evans name does not appear on the posters I mailed.

I asked Officer Culver if there was anything on the posters that was inaccurate. He seemed to stumble a bit here and remembered the photo I was holding in my hands on the poster. I told Officer Culver the man in the photo I was holding was a 9-11 First Responder and a New York 

City police officer who was a friend of mine, and who made really bad decisions after he got involved with a pro strongman and started taking steroids - a fact he admitted to me personally. I told him my friend had committed suicide in 2017...and that I had recorded 12 deaths from the strongman show I ran myself.

Officer Culver was polite, gave me his email address and asked me to send him the emails I had received from the University for his investigation (he is an employee of the University which seemed kind of suspicious). I am sure he had no idea there were only three emails from the school and were all pretty short.

CALLED THE POLICE CHIEF
I did not send anything to Officer Culver. I talked to a few people I trust, and all agreed that this may have a case where Culver and Evans were friends. The first-year officer may have worked out at the University of Delaware training facility and grew to know Evans personally. Culver may have thought he could hook up his buddy and intimidate me in some way...I do not know for sure. It is just an educated guess.

August 26, I called the number listed for UD Police Chief Patrick Ogden and left a 4.5-minute message on his voicemail about what happened and left the message that I did not feel comfortable sending anything to Officer Culver.

A few days went by and I never heard back from Chief Ogden or his office. On August 28, I made a decision to go to the Wilmington office of the FBI to see if I could drop off the same posters I dropped off at the University of Delaware's booth at the state fair and mailed to the University's training center.

I made contact at the FBI office but could not drop off the posters. I ended up getting interviewed by FBI agent Stephen Powell, who talked to me for over 21 minutes. I told him the accounts of the call I received from Officer Culver and that I had left a message with the police Chief Ogden and had not heard back.

Agent Powell said he was going to check it out but did not know if he would be calling me back. 

I felt better because I had told a third party about the incident who had no horse in the race, so to speak.

I RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE POLICE AUGUST 30, 2023        

On August 30, 2023, I received a call from a person who identified himself as Maj. Jason Pires. He said he was the deputy Chief of Police of the University of Delaware Police Department.

He said he was calling to square things up about the call I received from Officer Culver a few days ago. He said Officer Culver had "misspoken" and that there was never any complaint made by anyone at the University. He said Officer Culver was young and was just acting on personal complaints made by Evans.

I told Maj. Pires, I did nothing wrong, illegal or unethical. I told him Evans is a paid professional athlete and pro athletes get criticized. It comes with the territory. I told him Officer Culver was way out of line.

Maj. Jason Pires went on to say a few other things...he said he was on my side with pushing back on drug use...that he had been involved with some kind of anti-drug unit earlier in his career.

Maj. Jason Pires also said it was a good thing that I am a journalist! That it was good that I could ask Officer Culver the right questions about his claims about complaints from the University and was able to get Officer Culver to walk the accusations back.

I told Maj. Pires, I thought this whole episode was pathetic. What happens to someone when a police officer makes a bogus claim to someone who is not a reporter?
Maj. Pires said he was making up a report on all this but denied my request for a copy of what he said was report number 39-23-01. Major Pires said I was not allowed to have a copy because it was against the law in Delaware...of course it is!

I CALLED FBI AGENT POWELL AGAIN
After I hung up with Maj. Pires, I called Agent Powell to report the call back. Agent Powell said he had sent an agent to the University of Delaware Police Department to see what had happened.

At the time, Agent Powell said he had not made any determination of wrongdoing that would be under the jurisdiction of the FBI.

I told him and I still believe that the reason Maj. Pires called me because the FBI paid the station a visit, not because the station was being professional.  

I have a question...if everyone and everything is so clean and on the up-and-up at the University of Delaware Strength and Conditioning Department...why the stunning level of paranoia? What is going on there???
 
I have written to the President Assanis' representative and Police Chief Patrick Ogden demanding a retraction be sent to the News Journal. If that does not happen, it is my intention to file a report with the Office of Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings.

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UD Police Chief Patrick Ogden (right) and UD Deputy Police Chief Maj. Jason Pires certainly knew the statement given to the Delaware News Journal (delawareonline.com) about warning POYS founder Al Thompson was false as stated. Photo from UD Police website

OP-ED: MYRTLE BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND MAYOR BETHUNE WELCOME IMG'S STEROID CIRCUS AKA 'WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN' TO HORRY COUNTY-POTENTIALY POISONING ITS YOUTH WITH AN ILLEGAL DRUG CULTURE

Despite receiving credible information about the steroid use by competitors on IMG's "World's Strongest Man" and its many health issues and fatalities, Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce CEO & President Karen Riordan and Mayor Brenda Bethune allowed the event to take place, allowing kids from the area to attend with no warning for parents of all the illegal drug use among competitors. 

IMG's steroid-infested competition "World's Strongest Man" is underway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It is an event condemned by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives rebuked twice for it lack of testing for steroids, rampant steroid use, and high fatality rate.

Many of the American deaths were former high school football players. Yet Chamber of Commerce CEO Karen Riordan and Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune had no problem exposing the youth of Horry County to this steroid culture...even after receiving overwhelming amounts of information/facts on the steroid use at IMG's "World's Strongest Man.

It is an event local businesses and taxpayers may have paid for. When asked if she paid IMG the same fee the tourism bureaus in Bradenton, FL and Sacramento, CA paid - around $75,000.00 for one year, Riordan, in a phone call with POYS in December, 2022 declined to state the amount but admitted it was funds from both Chamber of Commerce members and taxpayers.    

The competitors are not the bad guys. They are abusing themselves after believing the lie they will become famous from taking steroids and competing on CBS Sports Network for a few minutes.

The pay and medical guardrails are deplorable when you factor in the risks these men are taking. 

Not to mention the damage it is doing by influencing the youth of Myrtle Beach and the country, telling our kids it's ok to use dangerous, illegal drugs for sports.

IMG MODERN DAY ORGANIZED CRIME?

We pray for these guys every day. Suckered by IMG - an organization we believe, in our opinion - is modern day organized crime. They're Being used by IMG to sell steroids at the national and global level. IMG CEOs Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell are IMO - involved with a Big Pharma company that manufactures anabolic steroids.

WSM and Giants Live - all owned by IMG CEOs Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell...are nothing but ads to sell steroids to young people. ...In our opinion. 

STEROID USE IS RAMPANT ON IMG'S WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN

There's been no gray area with regards to widespread use of anabolic steroids and other dangerous PEDs by virtually every competitor on IMG’s World’s Strongest Man. It has been this way for decades

In a story ESPN.com published April 14, 2019, former IMG “World’s Strongest Man" Champion Hafthor Bjornsson is asked about his steroid use. Here is an excerpt from that article:

"In a lengthy interview with ESPN's E:60, Bjornsson was asked whether he had ever taken steroids, long associated with the sport of strongman. ”Yes, I have," Bjornsson says in the 2017 interview, which aired Sunday morning on E:60. "When you want to be the best, you do whatever it takes."

Bjornsson did not elaborate on when he has used performance-enhancing drugs. Asked how often he takes steroids and if he's still doing it, Bjornsson deferred: "Can we just skip those questions?"

In a 2020 interview on the national podcast giant Joe Rogan, current World’s Strongest Man competitor Rob Kearney openly admitted IMG does not take drug testing for steroids seriously at all.

Kearney told Rogan that as far as he knew, IMG (referring it as WSM) has never disqualified a competitor for any illegal drug.

Kearney and Rogan even joked that the Americans have “better steroids” than the Europeans right now.

Virtually every “World’s Strongest Man” competitor is ingesting steroids. It is just accepted as fact.

Steroids are “long associated with the sport of strongman,” as ESPN put it.

Steroid use by competitors on “World’s Strongest Man” has been the main argument I have made to the Myrtle Beach, SC Chamber of Commerce to cancel the competition ever since I learned IMG had booked it at the popular family beach front community.

I traveled to Myrtle Beach in March 2023 to talk to young people as well as leaders of the area concerning the dangers of steroid use. I told them it was my belief they "World's Strongest Man" competitors were abusing themselves with steroids to compete on TV for a few minutes and for very little money overall. I have told people that competitors at WSM were victims of the lie that they would become rich and famous if they'd "do what they need to do" to compete on WSM.

My registered nonprofit is called “Protect Our Youth from Steroids,” POYS for short. The mission is to call out those individuals and organizations that promote and glorify steroid use.

On March 7, I spoke to over 600 high school students at a Horry County, SC public school as well as a Northern Myrtle Beach Rotary Club about the dangers of using steroids as well as flagging those individuals and organizations that promote and glorify steroid use.

I also made stops at places like Myrtle Beach City Hall, City Services and the Myrtle Beach Police Station.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s annual strength and bodybuilding events in Columbus, OH and the IMG “World’s Strongest Man” competition dominated my presentatioN.

POYS has done what it can to help prevent the spread of steroid use in Horry County. It is up to the great coaches, parents and teachers to keep the message going that these drugs lead to opioid addiction and even death.

The youth of Myrtle Beach, it coaches and parents will not get any help from elected officials, Chamber of Commerce, its medical community or its media. You are on your own. *

Email Al Thompson at protectouryouthfromsteroids@aol.com

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All the guys in this photo were former IMG competitors on World's Strongest Man, Giants Live or other qualifiers. All were former high school football players. All are dead from causes associated with steroid use.

OPINION: WILL IMG ASSET AND HBO 'REAL SPORTS' REPORTER MARY CARILLO'S LIE ABOUT TESTING FOR STEROIDS ON 'WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN' HARM AMERICA'S YOUTH? IT SURE LOOKS LIKE IT

Award winning journalist Mary Carillo seems to have thrown all her credibility out the window after her deceitful coverage of IMG's "World's Strongest Man." Carillo has long ties to IMG, the company that owns "World's Strongest Man," a show that's been condemned for steroid use that's been confirmed by it's own competitors.

There's been no gray area with regards to widespread use of anabolic steroids and other dangerous PEDs by virtually every competitor on IMG’s World’s Strongest Man. It has been this way for decades


In a story ESPN.com published April 14, 2019, former IMG “World’s Strongest Man" Champion Hafthor Bjornsson is asked about his steroid use. Here is an excerpt from that article:


"In a lengthy interview with ESPN's E:60, Bjornsson was asked whether he had ever taken steroids, long associated with the sport of strongman. ”Yes, I have," Bjornsson says in the 2017 interview, which aired Sunday morning on E:60. "When you want to be the best, you do whatever it takes."


Bjornsson did not elaborate on when he has used performance-enhancing drugs. Asked how often he takes steroids and if he's still doing it, Bjornsson deferred: "Can we just skip those questions?"


In a 2020 interview on the national podcast giant Joe Rogan, current World’s Strongest Man competitor Rob Kearney openly admitted IMG does not take drug testing for steroids seriously at all.


Kearney told Rogan that as far as he knew, IMG (referring it as WSM) has never disqualified a competitor for any illegal drug.


Kearney and Rogan even joked that the Americans have “better steroids” than the Europeans right now.


Virtually every “World’s Strongest Man” competitor is ingesting steroids. It is just accepted as fact.


Steroids are “long associated with the sport of strongman,” as ESPN put it.


Steroid use by competitors on “World’s Strongest Man” has been the main argument I have made to the Myrtle Beach, SC Chamber of Commerce to cancel the competition ever since I learned IMG had booked it at the popular family beach front community.


I traveled to Myrtle Beach in March 2023 to talk to young people as well as leaders of the area concerning the dangers of steroid use. I told them it was my belief they "World's Strongest Man" competitors were abusing themselves with steroids to compete on TV for a few minutes and for very little money overall. I have told people that competitors at WSM were victims of the lie that they would become rich and famous if they'd "do what they need to do" to compete on WSM.

 

My registered nonprofit is called “Protect Our Youth from Steroids,” POYS for short. The mission is to call out those individuals and organizations that promote and glorify steroid use.


On March 7, I spoke to over 600 high school students at a Horry County, SC public school as well as a Northern Myrtle Beach Rotary Club about the dangers of using steroids as well as flagging those individuals and organizations that promote and glorify steroid use.


I also made stops at places like Myrtle Beach City Hall, City Services and the Myrtle Beach Police Station.


Arnold Schwarzenegger’s annual strength and bodybuilding events in Columbus, OH and the IMG “World’s Strongest Man” competition dominated my presentation.  


Not one person: Students, coaches, local citizens or law enforcement disagreed with my message. There had to be 800-900 people I spoke to in person over my two-day stay.

Which makes the final scene of a very recent segment on HBO’s “Real Sports” about IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” covered by Hall of Fame announcer Mary Carillo and Emmy award-winning host Bryant Gumbel seem so disturbing.     


THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL FATALITIES ON COMPETITORS ON IMG’S WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN AND ITS QUALIFIERS OVER THE YEARS  

After the sudden death of Arnold strongman champion and 3X “World’s Strongest Man” finalist Mike Jenkins died of a massive heart episode on Thanksgiving Day 2013, Dauphin (PA) county coroner Graham Hetrick certified on Mike’s death certificate that the 31-year former college football offensive lineman had poisoned himself to death from steroid use.


During my interview with Hetrick in May 2014, I showed the coroner the 2014 resolution passed unanimously by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives rebuking “World’s Strongest Man” and other strength competitions for their lack of testing for steroids, rampant steroid use and high fatality rate.


The coroner had this to say about those strongman federations:


“It’s certain that long term use of steroids is going to injure the body,” Hetrick told POYS. “And if it’s certain and you’re encouraging people to do it, it’s no different than someone standing on a street corner and selling illicit drugs…and we put them in jail. It’s the same potential, you know you are distributing something that is going to do them great harm.”


Hetrick said the allure of movie stardom enjoyed by steroid-fueled actors such as Schwarzenegger, Dwayne Johnson and Sylvester Stallone, is the carrot that drives many people towards the “Dark Side,” a common term used by steroid users to describe those who have taken the plunge.


“Fame is the aphrodisiac for this whole thing,” Hetrick said.  


There are qualifiers for “World’s Strongest Man” and the equally condemned “Arnold Strongman Classic” in almost every state in America.


These qualifiers are where I believe young people are first introduced to the “Dark Side” of steroids.    


On virtually every forum and message board that exists on Earth to talk about IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man,” fans have conceded steroid use is rampant and accepted.


Unfortunately, so have the fatalities.


WHY DID HBO DO THIS FEATURE ON THE LUKE AND TOM STOLTMAN?

I have been sending information about steroid use on WSM to Karen Riordan - President and CEO, Visit Myrtle Beach for months.


On December, 21, 2022, I received this reply from Karen.

"Thank you for the information. I will review over the holiday break with my team.

Happy holidays,

Karen"      


Was she going to seriously consider canceling the event to shield the youth of her community from the steroid culture WSM would surely be bringing with it? That is an unanswered question at this point since she never got back to me. We did have a lengthy phone call about the steroid issues with IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” right before I started to send the information.


Since November 2022, I have written the athletic directors and other school officials at no less than 25 Horry County area high schools about the WSM event and the dangers of steroid use.      


There is no doubt POYS had created a buzz in the area about pushing back on what I call “Steroid Nation.”


Which is why the question-and-answer period after a segment on two brothers who are competitors on IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” between Bryant Gumbel and Mary Carillo seemed so suspicious and conflicted.


The March 2023 installment of HBO’s “Real Sports” included a 15-minute segment about pro strongmen Luke and Tom Stoltman.


It is a touching story of the two brothers growing up in Scotland, how Tom came to come to grips with autism and how the two became so successful in the world of pro strongman.


Tom is the two-time reigning “World’s Strongest Man” champion and is expected to defend his title in Myrtle Beach April 19-23, 2023.


During the “Real Sports” segment, producer Nisreen Habbal and Carillo failed to broach the subject of steroids at all.


But it became obvious this was a fluff piece done on behalf of IMG by Carillo to try and mend its all but faded credibility as a real athletic event. Steroids are such a part of IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” that, as someone who has covered professional sports for over 35 years, there is no corner of main stream sports that takes WSM seriously anymore. At least those are my experiences.  


There is nothing sinister with HBO airing this show the month before the competition is to take place. What is suspicious is that an Emmy Award winning, Hall of Fame journalist like Carillo - who has a longtime relationship with IMG - appears to blatantly lie to Gumbel and to the HBO audience when an awkward-looking Gumbel asks her about size of the two men – Tom is over 400 pounds and Luke is almost as big – and asks Carillo, “are these guys tested for ‘roids?”


In a fashion that would make the most deceitful politician in America blush, the 66-year-old former professional tennis player replied, “There is drug testing in this world,” Carillo said with a face a psychologist who specializes in lying should look at. “They claim they’ve never failed a test. They claim they play clean.”


Huh?


Maybe, Carillo should consider that these two have likely NEVER BEEN TESTED FOR STEROIDS!


How can they fail a test if they are never tested? Why did the four-time, Emmy Award-winning Gumbel not push back on that ridiculous answer?


It appears THE FIX was in. This has all the earmarks of a planted story to benefit her friends at IMG and try to save a failing steroid-infested event that no one cares about anymore except STEROID NATION and those who want to sell steroids to young people.


Is IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” nothing more than an elaborate advertisement to market steroid sale by god knows who?   


Is Carillo an IMG asset? It sure appears so. The former pro tennis player and tennis analyst has a long association with IMG…a fact she or “Real Sports” never disclosed. 


Did a lawyer for HBO or IMG write her response of “There’s drug testing in this world?”


The timing is interesting since IMG is facing a crossroads with the show.


Will CBS Sports Network want to carry this show anymore now that IMG appears to be running out of third world countries or American towns to scam tourism (taxpayer) funding out of?


STEROIDS ARE HARMFUL TO INGEST FOR ATHLETICS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE – IS SOMEONE WHO HAS AUTISM AT AN EVEN GREATER RISK?

This is where Carillo and Gumbel are exposed as assets for IMG and not legitimate journalists covering a topic.


When Carillo, Habbal and “Real Sports” producers Josh Fine and Stephen Lorenzo made a decision to make this piece center around Tom Stoltman’s lifelong challenges with autism, in my opinion, one of the first things they should have investigated was what further health risks a 400-pound man with autism could face if he is ingesting vast amounts of anabolic steroids and other PEDs professional strongmen have been known to abuse themselves with in order to chase the lie they will achieve fame and fortune if they cross over to the “Dark Side” to compete at this level.


One of the more disturbing results from Hetrick’s extended autopsy of Jenkins is heartbreaking. Hetrick revealed Jenkins had been ingesting steroids meant for large animals.


Jenkins had apparently contacted veterinarians and convinced them to sell him these drugs.


Someone in the “Strongman World” – as Carillo put it – told Jenkins this was a good idea.


Is this the world the Stoltman brothers are getting their medical information? Let us hope not.  


But Carillo and the producers really could not travel down that rabbit hole could they?


They’d have to admit the competitors are all likely violating our drug laws in order to compete at WSM.


That would be actual, legitimate journalism and not a favor to IMG. But Carillo and HBO apparently chose to pander to their ally, rather then give important medical information to their viewers.  


Even if someone with autism ingesting steroids is no more a risk than anyone else taking steroids, in my opinion, it should be addressed.


One doctor I spoke to – who is not in the field of autism treatment – did say it would be “common sense” that an autistic person's health risks are greater than a non-autistic competitor who is ingesting steroids. Reminder...ingesting steroids for athletic competition is dangerous for anyone...and it is illegal  


According the Kearney, in his interview with Rogan, “World’s Strongest Man” competitors are sent a booklet of questions and requirements the competitor’s physician must fill out at the competitor’s expense.


I asked Karen if she knew whether IMG or her department was vetting these doctors hired by the approximately 25 foreigners who plan to gain work visas to compete in Myrtle Beach in April.


I have not heard back.


I have left several voice mails for Lorenzo to comment on this story on his extension at HBO headquarters in New York City.

POYS has reached to a number of autism foundations and autism medical facilities and will add their responses to the story as they come in.


Is this a fire-able offense by Mary Carillo? I think so…judge for yourself. *

 

Email Al Thompson at protectouryouthfromsteroids@aol.com.  

 


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HBO reporter Mary Carillo falsely claimed there was "testing in that world" when she was asked by 'Real Sports' host Bryant Gumbel if WSM competitors Luke and Tom Stoltman, who she had just interviewed, were being tested for steroids by (officials) of the strongman competitions they compete in. She also said The Stoltmans's told her they never failed a drug test. Carillo's long time ties to IMG were never disclosed. It is highly unlikely either competitor has ever been tested for steroids. Photo from HBO.com

OHIO ELECTED OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO IGNORE STEROID USE AND COMPETITOR FATALITIES AT THE ARNOLD SPORTS FESTIVAL

It's 2023, Columbus Ohio, and once again steroids are flowing at "The Arnold." The event creates millions in revenue. So city, state officials, merchants and leaders turn their back on the illegal drug use and rising body count.

When people in the Columbus, Ohio area think about the Arnold Sports Festival, it’s usually about how much revenue it generates over the three-day weekend it takes place over the first weekend of March every year.


That is especially true with local merchants, local media and elected officials.


Everyone seems to have their own piece of the Arnold Schwarzenegger money pie that reportedly generates about $51 million each year.


What you won’t hear from those local merchants, local media and elected officials is how many caskets and cremation urns it generates each year as well.


There is way too much revenue to pocket to care about the rampant steroid use that has gone on with “The Arnold” among its bodybuilders, strongman competitors (men and women) and other strength events.


There has not been any credible testing of Arnold competitors for steroids and other illegal substances since Schwarzenegger and former FBI agent Jim Lorimer founded the event in 1989.


Lorimer passed away on November 24, 2022.  


The Columbus Dispatch quoted current Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther in the story announcing Lorimer's death at the age of 96.


“Jim put Columbus on the map when it came to bodybuilding and other sports-related competitions," said Ginther. "But he did much more for the city, especially our young people.”


Money-wise, no question, “The Arnold” became a cash cow for the city. But helping young people? How? What Lorimer and Schwarzenegger did to not only young people of Columbus, but to the entire country is up to interpretation to say the least.


The other side of that sentiment, I would argue that Lorimer and Schwarzenegger opened a Pandora’s Box of drug use, addiction and death that will take multi-generations of work to undo. 


Steroid use in this country has spiraled out of control and “The Arnold” plus IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” and pro wrestling have to be at the top of the list for what has influenced this growth in illegal drug use and its impact on athletics in general.


Steroids are so out of control and these strongman shows being aired in national TV prompted the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to twice (2014, 2016) rebuke “The Arnold,” IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” and other federations (several of those rebuked federations still have ties to Schwarzenegger’s event) for their lack testing for steroids, rampant steroid use and high fatality rate.


The March 2014 press conference announcing these rebukes were aired on Pennsylvania public television live.


Despite notices sent to hundreds of email addresses including Ohio elected officials, scores of media outlets and other supposed Columbus leaders, longtime media mogul and “Arnold” supporter John Wolfe apparently was able to completely block Pennsylvania’s urgent warning about these steroid events to the families and athletic community of Central Ohio.


JOHN WOLFE’S GREED – LUST FOR POWER - AT THE HEART OF THE SPREAD OF STEROID USE IN COLUMBUS

“Out of Control” was how Columbus TV journalist Paul Aker framed it in a TV piece he put together October 29, 2013.

The piece ran on CBS affiliate WBNS and featured interviews with local law enforcement, the medical community and steroids advocate, the late Louis Simmons, owner of Westside Barbell located in Columbus.

An excerpt from Aker's piece:


Those users now agree that the problem is "out of control" in the Columbus area. "I agree with (them)," said Sgt. Luke Holt, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

The problem is "much more serious than the normal person believes," Holt said.

Holt specialized in steroid investigation as an undercover detective for several years. Holt said he arrested about 25 steroid traffickers over a three-year period.

"The commonness of steroids in central Ohio is really a lot more than a normal person believes," Holt said.


A Columbus citizen emailed me a link to the story with concern for the youth of her community.


I contacted Aker shortly after receiving the story and we talked about how Schwarzenegger’s steroid events and its influence could be the reason for the epidemic of steroid use in the Columbus area.


Aker, who told me he was interested in connecting the dots between out-of-control steroid use and trafficking to “The Arnold.” He was fired about a week after our last conversion.


Aker told me did not know why he was fired and that the station offered no reason. Attempts to stay in touch with Aker since then have not been successful.


It should be noted that the CBS affiliate Aker worked for was owned by Wolf and his family business.


The Wolfe family owned the majority of media outlets in Columbus for decades. After his death in 2016, the Wolfe family started to sell its media outlets.


On Thursday (March 2, 2023), a man who identified himself as a desk reporter (but refused to give his name) at WBNS confirmed the CBS affiliate was owned by John Wolfe and his family until 2019 when it was sold to TEGNA Inc. of Tysons, Virginia.


The Wolfe family, according to published reports, founded the CBS affiliate in 1949.


Was Aker fired because he wanted to connect the dots between “The Arnold” and all its steroid events and the high level of steroid use and trafficking? You be the judge.


The reporter for WBNS said he was aware that CBS Sports currently airs IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” and “The Arnold.”


A massive ad for this year’s Arnold Sports Festival appears on the cover of the WBNS website.


The WBNS reporter said he was unaware that the Pennsylvania House of Representative had condemned the event being advertised in on the website of where he worked.


ARNOLD OFFICIAL BANNED BY WADA - PLUS A LIST OF FATALITIES OF ARNOLD COMPETITORS

I have checked routinely with representatives of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to see if any events at the Arnold Sports Festival are on the WADA footprint. No event is a member of WADA.


The representative replied:


"Arnold Tour in the USA, this is not a World Anti-Doping Code-Signatory event."


That same representative did confirm that IFBB/NPC executive Jim Manion has been blacklisted by WADA since 1917.


Manion runs bodybuilding…period…including “The Arnold.”


His behavior with regards to steroid use and trafficking by his bodybuilders is so nefarious that the same organization that banned the Russian Olympic Team from international competition for four years, also banned Manion, but for eight years.


“Mr. Manion was first added to the Prohibited Association List in 2017 and is indeed banned until 2025,” wrote the WADA official to POYS.

Manion has run bodybuilding at the Arnold for many years. Since WADA trashed him in 2017, the bodybuilding world has played the shell game with his status and whereabouts. But make no mistake; he is still involved in the seedy world or pro bodybuilding. Why haven't parents in the Columbus area been informed about Manion?


***************


Here are just some of the bodybuilders who have crossed paths with Schwarzenegger’s events, who took bait that is the lie of fame and fortune through the “Dark Side” of steroid use and paid the ultimate price.


None of these competitors have hidden their steroid use.


Rebecca Lorch – Former “America’s Strongest Woman” who competed in the pro division of the women’s Arnold Strongman Classic in 2022 took he own life on December 18, 2022. She was just 32. Her action stunned her friends and family according to January 23, 2023, story in the New York Times written by John Leland.


Leland’s story details Ms. Lorch’s abusive relationship with her trainer who encouraged her to do more steroids than her friends told Leland she was already doing.  


Bruce H. Grossinger, D.O. Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology based in Delaware County, PA talked to POYS about how steroid use can trigger suicide.

“Anabolic steroids have very dangerous effects on hormone levels including testosterone and disrupt the functioning of the pituitary and hypothalamic axis," Dr. Grossinger stated. "It is well described and reported in the literature over the last few decades that steroids cause many psychiatric problems including delirium, rage reactions and statistically increase the risk of suicide exponentially.”


Tom Prince - Age 52 died of cancer in 2022. He left behind a wife and two kids. The former Arnold competitor had many health issues over the years including kidney failure in 2003 which had him on dialysis until he received a kidney transplant in 2012.

I actually interviewed Tom Price at Gold’s Venice Beach Fitness Center in 1999 and he admitted he was already having problems health wise from steroid use. Tom used to post what steroids he was using.


Ashley Gearhart died in her sleep at just 37 years of age. Arnold competitor.


Bostin Loyd died 29 years old on February 25th, 2022. Possible kidney failure, later reports claimed it was a heart attack. Arnold Classic Competitor.


Cedric McMillan died April 12, 2022, at the age of 44, 2017 Arnold Champion. Long time steroid user.


Paul Poloczek – 37 years old. Died May 2022. The Poland native won the Arnold Classic Amateur tournament in Ohio, USA in 2017, where he won his pro card. Also competed in the Arnold Open in Columbus in 2018. Poloczek died just hours after competing in the NPC Worldwide Championship bodybuilding event in Germany. 


John Meadows – 49 years old. Competed in the 2016 Arnold Bodybuilding Classic. Died in August 2021 of a blood clot after suffering a heart attack shortly before that. IFBB/NPC Pro.


Luke Sandoe – 30 years old. Died in 2020. He finished on the 2019 Arnold Classic podium.

Initially, the cause of his was disclosed was suicide. But later, the athlete’s family denied this reason and claimed that Luke’s death was related to bodybuilding or steroids.


Dallas McCarver – died at the age of 26 on August 22, 2017. According to multiple reports, in March 2017, McCarver collapsed on stage during pre-judging at the Arnold Classic in Australia but recovered. He died suddenly a few months later. Several steroid-friendly sites reported he died from choking on food.


TMZ reported that McCarver was ingesting insulin on his own to enhance his “look,” A physician consulted by POYS (Nonprofit Protect Our Youth from Steroids) said it was likely the insulin caused McCarver to suffer seizures, possibly while eating…but his stunning level of PED use almost certainly had a major role in his death,


Rich Piana – The 46-year-old died in 2017 after his body simply gave out from years of drug use – both steroids and recreational drugs. He was longtime pro level bodybuilder and reputed prostitute. Piana did an interview months before his death for “The Arnold” website in 2016 saying he knew his health was declining. 


He was a fixture at the Arnold. Openly admitted he was giving advice about how to take steroids to anyone who came to his booth. There are no age restrictions at “The Arnold.”


Shawn Rhoden – 46 years old, died in 2021). Champion of the 2018 Mr. Olympia – also competed at the Arnold.


George Peterson – 37 years old, dies in 2021. Won the Arnold Physique contest. Autopsy showed he died from steroids.


Baitollah Abbaspour – 35 years old (2015) An Iranian bodybuilder – Died in 2015 – competed in the Arnold in Brazil.


Andreas Munzer – 31 years old died in 1996. He competed in the Arnold at least six times.


Mike Jenkins - Strongman. Won the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2012. Died at the age of 31 from a massive heart attack on Thanksgiving Day 2013. Dauphin County PA coroner Graham Hetrick certified Jenkins poisoned himself to death from long term steroid use. His heart was 2 ½ times the size of a normal heart at the time of his death. Mike was reportedly almost 400 pounds at the time of his death.


Dominic Filou – Died at the age of 41 in 2019. He was a Canadian with a wife and six children. Well over 400 pounds when he competed. Published reports state he died of a heart attack. Dominic competed in both IMG’s World’s Strongest Man and “The Arnold.”


THERE HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY NO KNOWN PUSHBACK ON STEROID USE AT “THE ARNOLD” – EVER.

 This is just a small sample list of the fatalities of young people who have died who competed at “The Arnold” and other similar strength and bodybuilding competitions.


This short list does not come close to the thousands and thousands of young people an event like “The Arnold” influences to believe steroid use is normal.


The medical community has stated that steroids are a gateway drug to opioid use and addiction.

Statistics are difficult to come by with regards to steroid use and fatalities.


What POYS has estimated that well over million young people, maybe up to two million young people are ingesting anabolic steroids illegally, solely for looks.


If that estimate is anything close to being accurate, Americans are spending between $2 billion and $4 billion a year on steroids.


Somebody is making money, a lot of money.


\How do you advertise steroid? The drug is as illegal as heroin and cocaine.


Intentional or not, “The Arnold” is a massive ad for steroid sales. And no one in Columbus' government or at CBS Sports Network seems to care about the damage the influence of the competition is having on the youth of Central Ohio and America.    


In August 2022, I personally dropped off a longer list of Arnold, steroid-related fatalities to the office of Columbus City

Attorney Zach Klein’s office. His aid came to lobby to get the list and other information I wanted him to see.


The aid looked at the list and agreed that if this was a list high school sports fatalities; those sports would be shut down.


The same information was also dropped off at Ginther’s office that day, as well as at the law office former Columbus Mayor

Michael Coleman, who now has a private practice in downtown Columbus.


There is no question Governor Mike DeWine is aware of all the steroid use and fatalities that have occurred at "The Arnold.".

There has been no response from any of these elected officials. 


All have been notified that the Arnold Sports Festival may be in violation of new federal legislation, The Rodchnkov Anti-Doping Act that was passed in 2020.


In this country now, sports doping at international athletic events is an act of felony fraud. "The Arnold" seems to check all the boxes to be violating the new law.


Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman along with virtually all Ohio House Representatives voted for the legislation. In fact, Representative Jim Jordan, (R-OH 4th District), co-sponsored the bill. It sailed through the House and was voted 100-0 in the U.S. Senate.


Every Ohio elected official at the federal level, regardless of party, voted to get rid of sports doping international athletic events...zero elected officials at the state or local level in Ohio, regardless of party, has lifted a finger to get rid of this steroid-infested international athletic event.   


The only real hope parents and the legitimate athletic community can hold is that events like “The Arnold” and IMG’s

“World’s Strongest Man” plus their legions of qualifier federations end up in front of congressional hearing in the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate.


Could that happen? With the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act on the books now, yes it could.


Stay tuned Columbus. *


Al Thompson is a Philadelphia area-based sportswriter who had covered high school, college and professional sports for over 35 years.

Thompson, a former high school football strength coach, founded the nonprofit Protect Our Youth from Steroids (POYS) in 2016.

He speaks to high school student-athletes and other groups about the dangers of steroid use and calls out those individuals who promote and glorify steroid use. There is no charge for the presentation.

For information of POYS and Thompson’s presentations email protectouryouthfromsteroids@aol.com    

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Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein has yet to respond to cries for help with regards to the steroid use and fatalities at the Arnold Sports Festival. Photo from City Attorney's website.

POYS FOUNDER OFFERS PRESENTATION ON THE RISKS OF USING STEROIDS FOR HIGH SCHOOLS, COLLEGE STUDENT-ATHLETES AS WELL AS GROUPS --SEE PRESENTATION REVIEWS

  • STAFF
  • Posted on Wednesday, September 21, 2022

POYS (Protect Our Youth from Steroids) is offering a presentation on the risks of using anabolic steroids and other illegal performance enhancing drugs/substances.


Attached please find flyer about a presentation Al Thompson offering to give to student-athletes, coaches, school officials and parents about the dangers of steroid use. Thompson is offering to share his experiences as a high school strength coach - Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, seven years - and also as a former strength sports promoter, a sports journalist and activist.

Please write protectouryouthfromsteroids@aol.com if you want a flyer sent to you. 

Thompson doing this to let the athletic community at the grass roots level know about a sports world where young people are abusing themselves with steroids and other illegal PEDs in greater numbers every year and how this can not only hurt their future, but could be fatal...and has far too many times.

The presentation is not only about Thompson's experiences but also about events our youth can get be exposed to where he or she could be recruited to try steroids. Most of the time it is at the qualifiers for major strength events such as:  

All Arnold Schwarzenegger events, IMG Worldwide: (owns the "World's Strongest Man" TV competition." "The Arnold," and World's Strongest Man have been rebuked by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for these event's lack of testing for steroids, rampant steroid use and high fatality rate. There are qualifiers for these events in virtually every state in America for these events.

Pro Wrestling. The WWE and AEW continue to conduct their athletic activities nationwide with no credible drug testing for steroids among its performers. Over the years, pro wrestling has been marred with well documented steroid scandals and high fatality rate.

Thompson does bring up specific fatalities of professional strongman competitors who died young after getting involved with Schwarzenegger and IMG, used steroids to advance and died from causes usually associated with steroid use. These fatalities and causes are well documented. 

There are six large photos he shows and identifies that are all strongman competitors who played high school football. At the presentations this summer, this is the segment that resonated the most with the audience. Thompson has a personal connection to five of the six competitors he talks about. So, it's personal.

All these strength and bodybuilding events may soon be held accountable criminally through the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act that is now law. 
In this country, sports doping at international athletic events is now considered an act of felony fraud. My Nonprofit, POYS (Protect Our Youth from Steroids) is an official endorser of the legislation as are the NFL, NHL, MLB, PGA Tour and all the Olympic teams. In addition to my flyer, please see the letter from the endorsers to congress in 2019 requesting the legislation be presented to the House of Representatives. 

 Please do not hesitate to call Al Thompson if you have any questions. 

Thank you for your time and courtesy with this matter. 


Al Thompson
Founder - POYS
Protect Our Youth from Steroids
267-254-4614

REVIEWS OF THE POYS PRESENTATION ON THE RISKS OF USING STEROIDS: 

 “Mr. Thompson’s presentation was both informative and relevant for today’s high school athlete.  With the popularity of social media high school athletes are more likely than ever before to have a distorted view of what a successful athlete looks like. 
Through his talk Mr. Thompson was able to connect with students through the use of visual aids, and the sharing of real life experiences during his time covering various sports teams and formerly promoting strong man competitions.  It was especially impactful when Mr. Thompson spoke about the pictures of six former high school football players who eventually passed away due to their abuse of steroids.  .  
I highly recommend Mr. Thompson to come speak with your athletes, families, and school communities to bring attention to the dangers of steroid use.”

-- Casey Ryan, Head Football Coach, Christiana High School, Newark, DE. 

***
"We recently had Al Thompson speak with our Fall student-athletes about Protecting Our Youth from Steroids.  His program was extremely engaging and valuable.  All high school athletes could benefit from seeing this eye-opening presentation.  Al has a great amount of knowledge and passion on the topic. I highly recommend Al and his POYS program to all potential student-athletes in NJ."

-- Derrick Goduto, Athletic Director Florence Memorial High School, Florence, NJ

***
"Excellent program that was well received by our members. We look forward to having Al back in the near future."

-- Robert Morris - Founder and current Speaking Chair for the Rotary Club of Middletown Township, PA.

***
"It was an honor to be a part of this educational event. I loved how engaged the students were.  Without question there was an awareness brought to these young men and women about the perils of performance enhancing drugs. The ability to connect real life tragedies to the very sports that these student athletes play was powerful. I think the questions that were asked by the students during Al Thompson's presentation was stimulating and powerful. Each audience Thompson spoke with had a unique response to the information presented and I think each one of the student athletes left more aware and prepared."

-- Dr. Sean McMillan, DO - Orthopedic Surgery Specialist in Burlington, NJ. Works out of Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Virtua Voorhees Hospital. 

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There is no charge for Thompson's presentation, but donations to POYS are welcome.

MAYOR STEINBERG SPENDS TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO AGAIN HOST CONDEMNED STEROID-INFESTED WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN OWNED BY IMG

The Sacramento Mayor has ignored pleas to impose credible testing for steroids and other illegal drugs. IMG's World's Strongest Man has been rebuked twice by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the show's lack of testing for steroids, rampant steroid use and high fatality rate.  Registered non profit POYS (Protect Our Youth from Steroids) has pleaded with the mayor to impose credible testing for steroids and other illegal PEDs or cancel the show.


The steroids will be flowing May 24-29 as the Sacramento Visitor's Bureau and Mayor Steinberg continue to ignore the facts surrounding one of the most steroid-infested athletic events in the world.

Several competitors have admitted steroid use on national TV as well as national podcasts and other platforms.

Sacramento Visitor's Bureau and Mayor Steinberg continue to ignore the impact this kind of event can have on the youth of Sacramento and the rest of country.

There have been a number of competitor deaths including three-time finalist and Pennsylvania resident Mike Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins died on Thanksgiving Day 2013 of a massive heart episode at the age of 31.

Pennsylvania coroner Graham Hetrick certified Jenkins “poisoned” himself to death because of long-term steroid use. Mr. Jenkins was an offensive lineman for the James Madison University National Championship football team in 2005.

Mayor Steinberg is a lawyer, an officer of the Court. He knows IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” is saturated with illegal drug use. Why is he allowing this illegal drug event to go on?

Mayor Steinberg has ignored the demands by POYS to insist the 18 World’s Strongest Man competitors who intend to come to Sacramento at the end of May from foreign countries be required to pass a WADA supervised test for steroids and all other illegal PEDs before they are grated a work visa to enter this country.

Those same “World’s Strongest Man” competitors must them pass a USASA test for steroids and all other illegal PEDs before they are allowed to compete.

Mayor Steinberg and Visit Sacramento continue to ignore requests by POYS to have the FBI and other appropriate branches of law enforcement investigate IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” for possible violation of the new Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act. Since it was passed on December 2020, sports doping at international athletic events is now an act of felony fraud.

POYS is an official endorser of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doper Act as are the NFL, NHL, MLB, PGA Tour and all the Olympic Teams.

IMG’s “World’s Strongest Man” is an international athletic event. It completely consumed with sports doping.

Mayor Steinberg still has time to act. Get rid the steroids or get rid of the event.

How will his actions impact his political career? It’s up to the Mayor. *

Al Thompson is the founder of POYS. Email him at protectouryouthfromsteroids@aol.com. 

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Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg is spending tens of thousands of taxpayer money to bring a steroid-infested event back to the capital for the second time. $155,000.00 over two years is being spent on "World's Strongest Man."

IT'S TIME TO GET STEROID NATION OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE

In early fall of 2020, a political ad for the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket emerged on social media. It featured pro wrestler/actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. 


The video is about five minutes long and starts with Johnson formerly endorsing the Biden/Harris ticket.

Biden, Harris and Johnson - on separate screens - exchanged compliments and ideas on how the country should go forward.

“I have never publicly endorsed a presidential candidate, or a vice presidential candidate in my life, over my career,” Johnson exclaimed.


Harris and Biden seemed touched by his endorsement.


There's a big problem with this: Johnson has immersed himself in the steroid culture his entire professional life. So have other White House darlings Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno plus Linda and Vince McMahon. Most recently IMG has found its way into the Biden administration when it signed Harris' step-daughter Ella Emhoff to a modeling deal. IMG has been a player in Steroid Nation for over 40 years..


These successful people have one major common theme: They earned their fame and fortune from the use and later in life, the promotion of steroids to the youth of this country.


There are laws in place that are clear that steroids are illegal – including the recently passed federal legislation Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act that now makes sports doping at international competitions an act of federal fraud. There is plenty of information out there about the health risks long-term steroid use can have on the body. 


How can the medical community and law enforcement do their job when president after president fawn over some of the worst actors in what my non profit POYS (Protect Our Youth from Steroids) refers to as “Steroid Nation?” How can coaches and trainers convince young student-athletes to steer clear of PEDs when we can't get our presidents to behave responsibly? . 


The White House and every president – past and present – must keep Steroid Nation out of their enterprise. Johnson has publicly admitted steroid use when he was younger many times. Johnson's ex-wife and current business partner Dany Garcia lists herself as an IFBB/NPC Pro bodybuilder. 


Garcia's bodybuilding boss is Jim Manion. He's listed as the IFBB/NPC Pro bodybuilding federation president. Garcia and Johnson are co-promoting a IFBB/NPC pro bodybuilding competition in October in Atlanta as part of “Athleticon.” It is billed as a fitness expo not unlike “The Arnold” that's held every March in Columbus Ohio.  


Johnson and Schwarzenegger are hands-on promoters of these expos that feature a number of bodybuilding and strength events like strongman and powerlifting that do not hide steroid use by their competitors. These are both international competitions.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) official Maggie Durand confirmed to POYS that Manion has been blacklisted by WADA until 2025.


Manion has been involved with people like Schwarzenegger and Johnson for decades. Are there no other movie stars, not involved with illegal drugs, for Biden, Harris and all the other presidents to associate with?


The “Arnold Strongman Classic” has been rebuked by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives twice – in 2014 and 2016 - for its lack of testing for steroids, rampant steroid use and high fatality rate. The resolutions also admonished IFBB/NPC bodybuilding and IMG's “World's Strongest Man” for the same reasons. Both expos feature events for kids. How many parents are made aware of the steroid culture by local and national media outlets? Zero.


“The Arnold” and IMG's “World's Strongest Man” require competitors to go through qualifier federations that take place in most states across America. These qualifiers are where many young people, mostly young men, are introduced to the dark side of steroid use.

Yet George W. Bush recently painted a portrait of Schwarzenegger.  


Why? Here is an excerpt from an article by New York Magazine columnist Burkhard Bilger in 2012 about steroid use at "The Arnold." "George H. W. Bush had both criminalized the use of steroids and appointed Arnold Schwarzenegger—the world’s most famous steroid user—chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.”  Where is the logic in that?


In 2018, President Trump selected Ferrigno to be part of his National Fitness Council. Steroids were legal when he used drugs to play the "Incredible Hulk." Now those drugs are just as illegal as heroin and cocaine. Ferrigno continues to promote his steroid days and is a regular at "The Arnold." In the early 1990s, Vince McMahon was involved in a major drug scandal and was indicted in federal court for distributing steroids to wrestlers. He was eventually acquitted. 


Both Linda and Vince McMahon were under federal investigation from 2007-2009 for rampant steroid use among their wrestlers. Yet 81 U.S. Senators voted to allow Linda McMahon to serve on Trump's cabinet. In 2016 Brock Lesnar was given a one-year suspension by the USADA for a failed drug test while he was fighting in the UFC. He went right back to wrestling and according to Forbes, became the WWE's top money maker in 2017. Is there any vetting of these people by the White House?


The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019 was voted into law in the fall of 2020. It went into effect in early 2021. POYS was an official endorser of the legislation as was the NFL, MLB, NHL, PGA Tour and every Olympic team. POYS was working with staff officials of over 40 members of congress on how to apply the new law to people like Schwarzenegger, Johnson, IMG and the McMahon's, until the pandemic shut down Washington. 


The 2012 “Arnold” strongman champion and three-time IMG “World's Strongest Man” finalist Mike Jenkins. 31, died on Thanksgiving Day 2013 of a massive heart episode. Mike, who weighed over 400 pounds as a strongman, was a Hershey PA resident. Dauphin County, PA coroner Graham Hetrick certified on Mike's death certificate that he had “poisoned” himself to death with a stunning array of substances and illegal drugs.


I interviewed Hetrick in June 2014. Hetrick said Mike ingested traditional anabolic steroids, stimulants and other steroids meant for large animals. The former college offensive lineman's heart, at the time of his death, was two-and-a-half times the size of a normal human's.


When Hertrick was shown the 2014 Pennsylvania resolution rebuking these steroid events by name, he made these remarks:


“It’s certain that long term use of steroids is going to injure the body,” Hetrick said. “It’s the same potential, you know you are distributing something that is going to do them great harm. And if it’s certain and you’re encouraging people to do it, it’s no different than someone standing on a street corner and selling illicit drugs…and we put them in jail.” 


It is unlikely at this time that Schwarzenegger, Johnson, IMG executives, Ferrigno or the McMahon's are headed to jail. With the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act in place, there is a reason to hope for change. In the meantime, can we at least get Steroid Nation out of the White House?


*

Al Thompson is the founder of the registered non profit “Protect Our Youth from Steroids.” Thompson has covered professional, college and high school sports for over 35 years in the Philadelphia area. He is a former strength and conditioning coach for Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, PA.

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It was a surprise that the Biden/Harris Campaign would accept the endorsement of Dwayne Johnson given his long history of being associated with steroids.