A Lutheran pastor, Guntars Baikovs, originally from Latvia but a St. Louis seminary Ph.D., has become the Super Heavyweight champion armwrestler–in both arms–in Australia. After the jump, read a news story about him. Notice how he works in a plug for vocation:
“In our society we celebrate achievements. That’s good, we need to nourish our gift and be proud of them. But for so many of us, it makes our lives difficult. Our value and dignity doesn’t depend on our achievements,” he said.
“In reality, what is much more important than our extraordinary achievements in our hobbies, are the ordinary things we all do on a daily basis – how we serve people around us.”
Guntars Baikovs might teach the bible’s workings in the South Australian Lutheran church but he is also the unlikely reigning national super-heavyweight champion in – arm wrestling.
The Latvian-born pastor, 41, was crowned the Australian champion “on both arms” in the Super Heavyweight division at the national championships in Sydney last month.
The father-of-three, measuring 195cm tall and who weighs in at 120kg, emigrated to Tanunda, in the Barossa Valley, earlier this year to work at the St Paul’s and Zion Gnadenberg parish.
The softly spoken and modest pastor, together with his young family, have quickly become an integral part of the local community but it is his exploits outside of church that have earned him a cult-like following.
