Valeri Shary

Sport: Weightlifting

Born: 2 February 1947

Birthplace: Chervyen, Minsk Region, Byelorussian SSR

Honors:

Honored Master of Sport of the USSR

Order of Friendship of Peoples

Career highlights:

Gold (82.5kg), Olympic Games in Montreal, 1976

World champion, 1975-1976

European champion, 1975-1976

Four-time champion of the USSR, 1975, 1977-1979

Winner of the USSR Cup, 1971, 1978-1979

Winner of the Baltic Cup, 1969, 1972, 1978

Biography:

Valeri Shary was born on 2 February 1960 in the town of Chervyen, Minsk Region. He grew up without a father. After finishing the 6^th grade he together with his mother, Klavdia Konstantinovna, moved to Minsk. Valeri Shary was a very energetic and athletic boy. He was the best in class in grenade throw, long jump and sprint. In recognition of his sport achievements he was sent to a sport and recreation camp in summer.

When in the 7^th grade Valeri understood his family’s hardships and that his mother needed help. After finishing the 8^th grade, Valeri got a job as an assistant mechanic. Thus, a new, adult life started for the 15-year-old boy. In those days, there was an unquestioned opinion that weightlifting was bad for young men. It was believed that power exercises had an adverse impact on the young body hindering growth, harming the heart, and so on. Children were not allowed into the gym until the age of 16. Valeri Shary was looking forward to this time to come. When in Chervyen, he chose weightlifting as his favorite sport. He even made a tool with rusty wheels to practice weightlifting.

His time came in 1964. The future Olympic champion enrolled in the Dinamo weightlifting class and Boris Levin became his first coach. Today, no professional coach will seriously talk with such a newcomer: too old, poor prospects. Boris Levin took young Valeri very seriously. The coach called the young boy a true enthusiast of the sport and never regretted training him.

Valeri trained with great zeal. Two years later, he was drafted into the army with his first sport degree under the belt. He had great hopes for the army service as a “foundry” molding outstanding athletes, including weightlifters. There, Valeri got to know Pavel Zubrilin. The new coach was at his heyday in those years. He was full of innovative ideas which he was eager to put into practice. He was an enthusiast and needed enthusiasts, too.