9. Ironhead: the story of George Tromaras

How can you be objective when you write about a man you've admired since childhood? In what way do you present him to others who may not know him? Son, worker, wrestler, strongman, movie appearances, trainer, motivational speaker, weight lifter, husband, father. George Tromaras was all that indeed. 

I've been slowly and methodically adding to the article you're reading for nearly 12 months. I tried to make a tribute video but the resources were insufficient unfortunately. Some clips I didn't have the rights to and were taken many years ago so the resolution wasn't good enough. 

Some pictures were not suitable for wide screen and I didn't want to have a mixed selection of images just so I can make a video. Bottom line it would just not present him in the way he deserves. So I decided to write about him instead. There will be a plethora of photos at the end of this article which will help establish a better visual concept of the man and his legacy. 

I felt the need to write this in English since people who read my work enjoy the international strength culture. I wanted to make this accessible to the rest of the world and I do hope that many will read it. He deserves it. He was mentioned in foreign channels several times and was the subject of articles in newspapers and magazines. He received a large exposure on abroad in the 70s and 80s wrestling around the world and doing strength exhibitions. 

And in his own country, he was loved and admired by the people.

This article was written based on TV interviews (genuinely watched everything I could find about him), online information and the legend's autobiographical book "50 years, the story of my life". The book is in Greek so I'll try and deliver facts as best as I can. It was gifted to me by his son Kostantinos and for that I am grateful. As much as some extra details that aren't mentioned in the book or online. 

1.EARLY LIFE 

George Tromaras (or Giorgos Tromaras) was born in 1947 in Agia Sophia of Aitoloakarnania. Life in the late 40s in Greece was a struggle for most and coming from the countryside, he was raised in a rough and tough environment. He helped around the farm with the animals and started working at a very young age since he needed to help support his family. Didn't enjoy school much, but as he mentions he'd be too tired to focus on his homework at the end of each day. 

In 1957 he saw a strength exhibition in his area that inspired him to start training. The performer's name was Dimitris Konstantinou who approached him after the show and told him he would be a strength athlete one day. He was blown away by what he'd just seen and it definitely influenced him to start lifting and get stronger. 

Training facilities where non existent back then (let alone in a village) so he'd find whatever he could to lift and carry or press above his head like rocks and tree logs. 

At 9 years old he got under a juvenile donkey and stood up with it. He tried and tried until he was able to do it. That feat was also inspired by Dimitris Konstantinou whom he'd seen perform. His father was ecstatic after witnessing it. And was along with his mother, his biggest supporter until they passed. 

In 1960 his family moved to Athens and that's when his passion for wrestling was born. 

2. WRESTLING CAREER 

He began training in free style wrestling behind his parents back. He'd work at a factory in the morning, train in the evening and he'd get back home late. His father had a hint of what was going on but his mother was strictly against it so he wouldn't share it with his parents for a while. When she found out she got angry at him, his father yelled at him too but when they were alone he told him to be careful and not get hurt during practice. 

One night six months after he'd started wrestling, he told his parents he'd like to take them out for a walk in the city and eventually ended up taking them to the wrestling arena where he'd compete. They had no idea until the announcer called his name. His father was excited and his mother surprisingly took it very well. It was after that day that they fully supported the path he'd chosen to take at such a young age. 

He'd train all week and his school would hold wrestling matches every Sunday. 

In 1964 he meets trainer Stamatis Harisiadis aka Grandpa and decides to go train at his facility. There he had his best years and trained vigorously every day. Harisiadis was also the trainer of legendary wrestler and strength athlete Jimmy Armaou. 

At nearly 5ft 7" and 265lbs, Tromaras was thick yet very powerful and explosive. Pictures from his prime depict a well rounded muscular physique which is the product of an unrelenting training regiment, whether it was for wrestling or for strength. Some of his favorite moves were the flying head scissors and he'd usually finish his opponents with a headbutt. 

Many would end up in the hospital with stitches. That's where he got the nickname Ironhead. And he'd justify that name throughout his strength exhibitions where he'd support large rocks on top of his head and have an assistant break them with a sledgehammer. 

He wrestled in nearly 35 countries where he was treated like a king. He had offers to stay for long term contracts and wrestle in Africa and what was Arabia at the time. They also offered him to train upcoming athletes. He declined. He mentions in his book, he just couldn't stay away from his homeland. Some of the places he visited and wrestled at: Switzerland, Japan, Zambia, Dubai, Abu Dabi, Yugoslavia, Austria, Nigeria, Jordan, Uganda, Kuwait, Aman, Beirut, Lebanon, Spain and Morocco. Some of which he visited several times through the years. 

He filled the stadiums in the 60s and 70s. This is the time where they'd sell several thousand tickets. People loved to go watch the matches. Wrestling was huge back then in Greece (along with soccer) and he became very popular and successful. He won multiple championships in free style and professional wresting throughout his career. 

In 1968-1970 he started performing strength exhibitions in front of audiences along with legendary athlete Jimmy Armaou (also trained under Harisiadis so they became good friends) and that's where the feats of strength and wrestling career began to intertwine. 

I'm providing a list of said feats below, since he continued to do exhibitions well after he retired from wrestling in 1994. 

3. POST WRESTLING AND SCHOOL EXHIBITIONS (mid 90s and on) 

After he retired from wrestling in the mid 90s  he focused on visiting schools and sent out positive vibes to young kids about exercising and staying healthy while still performing his strength feats. And he did that for over two decades. Many celebrities tried to convince him to work as their bodyguard but he declined. As he mentioned, this lifestyle wasn't for him. 

He got licensed to present his strength program in 1991 by the ministry of education and until he retired this was his main focus along with being a family man and a businessman. The shows he presented at the schools were "milder, since I didn't want to scare the kids" he'd claim. Still, some impressive feats were performed and keep in mind he did this well into his 60s.

In the early 70s (1970-1974) he was one of the first to introduce the powerlifting movements to Greeks when along with Kostas Karabalis and Nikiforos Loizos decided to add an exhibition in the Mr Hellas contest which was primarily a bodybuilding show. 

He just loved strength and did train the powerlifts but more because he enjoyed it rather than trying to break personal records. It'd have been very interesting to see where he'd have gotten had he dedicated himself to the sport for say 5-10 years. I'm sure it'd have been something spectacular. Myself being a powerlifting geek would have loved to see how far he could go. 

Elite and Pro totals in the 275lbs class is something I'd bet on. Himself stated that his best gym lifts were a 350kg/770 squat, 200kg/440lbs bench and 330-350kg/725-770lbs deadlift which are very reasonable numbers. 

When you have a 3 ton truck stop on top of you because the driver killed the engine by mistake and get badly injured (torn abdominal muscles and spinal issues) and you manage to get back in action at an advanced age, a powerlifting total must seem... Very subtle, I do believe. And that's something he did dozens of times through the years as part of his exhibition. And he'd get hurt and come back from crippling injuries, again and again. 

4. OTHER PERSONAL FACTS AND FEATS OF STRENGTH 

I didn't want to mix his business ventures and his wrestling career with his strength achievements so here are some facts about his life and some of the feats he performed through the years as a strongman performer. 

. In the late 60s/early 70s he was one of the first to open several gyms around Athens and he continued to do so for decades. In 1971 he collaborated with Nikiforos Loizos and opened his first gym and in 1976 he opened a 4 story building dedicated to training and fitness. Truly ahead of his time. 

. Drove nails through planks, also bent nails. 

. Bent iron bars. 

. Has pulled up to 15 cars with his teeth walking backwards.

. 1980 he pulled 4 train wagons with his teeth. 

. At 65 he could still stop a car while it spinned its tires trying too move forward (video footage on YouTube). 

. 1981 in Arabia he pulled a 35 ton truck strapped to his chest. This was demonstrated on the TV show That's incredible. 

. Broke chains with his bare hands (video footage on YouTube). 

. Held on to straps while he had several people per side pulling, trying to separate his hands (video footage on YouTube). 

. Pulled 2 train wagons with his teeth in 2000 weighing 28 tons at 53 years old. He was preparing to pull 5 wagons and enter the Guinness book of records but he got injured in a previous show and unfortunately wasn't able to. He slipped during a feat where he was holding two cars, one on each hand connected to straps. It was raining, the cars took off, he fell on his side and broke his clavicle.

. Strapped a man to his head harness and squatted him while driving nails through wooden boards and tearing phone books at the same time. One of his standard feats. 

. Had 2 people hang onto a strap to his sides. He'd stand on a platform, bite on the strap and have them lift their legs. Then he'd rotate left and right, with the people suspended, essentially supporting then in his jaw and shoulders. 

.1991 in Kuwait, after a televised wrestling match, he pulled a 35 ton truck with his teeth walking backwards.

. Throughout his whole career whether it was matches or exhibitions, he promoted family values, that kids stayed in school, healthy living and physical activity. That they should listen to their parents and teachers and be good respectful people. His morals in my opinion are sorely missed in today's world. In his book, he spoke about he people that helped him in his life as well as the values I mentioned above. The sentence he used throughout the book when referring to said people was "I will remember them with love". 

. Prevented vehicles from moving forward by standing and pushing against them. He'd have the driver start slowly in case there's an accident. Then he'd have them step on the gas to the point where there was some momentum and then the tires would start spinning. He'd gradually have the driver step on the gas at full throttle. He mentioned in his book that in some occasions they'd provide him with tractors trying to trick him and test him even further but he'd keep calm and have them step on the gas until the tires would burn against the road. Lesson learned I suppose. Next time he'd come around they'd provide him with whatever vehicle he wanted. 

. Toured Greece 10 times throughout the years. From the big cities to small islands. He'd go wherever he was invited. Never turned anybody down. 

5. LEGACY AND DEATH 

George Tromaras and his wife Fani had a son Konstantinos in 1989. He himself is a very powerful young man and has gone through many sports like boxing, wrestling, weight lifting and lastly powerlifting which he still trains and competes in. He's also a certified trainer and trains people at their gym Tromaras sports club which he ran with his father until his passing and still does today. 

Kostas has competed several times and has been very successful in powerlifting, most notably winning World championships in Russia in 2016 in the 275lbs drug tested category and in Ireland in 2019. 

THE TROMARAS STRENGTH CHALLENGE . 

This competition started in 2018 and it included a bench and deadlift contest. It started in order to honor George Tromaras. He was present at that contest. 

The second challenge is the one I competed in, April of 2022. It was scheduled for February as I recall but due to his passing they postponed it. It included a full powerlifting meet, strongman events as well as an armlifting contest presented by Armlifting Greece. 

Sadly I never got a chance to meet him. I was going to at that second challenge but it just wasn't meant to be. I had another chance of meeting him through a mutual friend back in 2004-2005 but I was working and I was unable to be there. I managed to take a day off from work so I can attend his funeral. Pay my respect to the legend. 

The third Tromaras Strength Challenge is taking place May of 2023 and if my preparation goes well I will be competing there as well. To honor the man and his legacy. 

George Tromaras passed away in January 24 2022. He suffered from multiple strokes. He is being sorely missed. I'll always remember his intensity, explosive power. His mannerisms, grunting and screams whenever he did something spectacular. 

Time goes by and that's something we can't change. But George Tromaras is timeless. As well as the work he left behind. This article is being released one year after his passing.

Rest in power legend. We will remember you with love. 

Terry Eleftheriou for Conjugate Iron 

January 24 2023

https://linktr.ee/terryconjugateiron