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in sports. "I played basketball, threw javelin, discus and shot-put, but I wasn't very good at those events," says Washington. "Then, one day, a friend of mine took me to a weightlifting event and I fell in love with the sport." Weightlifting challenged Washington and built his self-confidence. Prior to lifting weights Washington lived in fear of his condition and what his doctors had told him. When his doctor found out about his new-found interest in pumping iron, he discouraged the teenager from participating in the sport and he told his family that he would not be responsible for Wayne's future health. But, the faculty at the Human Resources Center in Albertson, N.Y. continued to provide support for Washington. "My weightlifting helped me develop my body and I haven't had a fracture since I was 12 or 13," Washington pointed out. In addition to the physical encouragement Wasshington found at the center, he also began to formally learn how to read and write. Until his schooling at the center, Mr. Washington lived day-by-day and did not have many thoughts about his future. But weightlifting soon became a passion for Washington. He attributes much of his initial success and upper body strength on spending most of his life in a wheelchair and pushing himself up many hills at St. Agnes. "I began weightlifting at the age of 17. The first time I bench pressed, I lifted 185 pounds and I weighed 96 pounds. "That was the beginning of my career," says Washington. In no time, Washington steadily progressed and began winning competition after competition until he suffered a crushing loss in the 1984 International |