World's Fastest Big Man

Srefan's 750 squar developed.

These powerful) I" rhighs wbich .

BIG MAN Ir was noon and I was ralking wirh BYUs head foorball Coach Lavell Edwards in December of 198).Jusr rhen Clarence Robinson BYUs long rime rrack coach comes by and exciredly srares "You got a minure, I wanr you to see Stef'lIl run a 40 yard sprim" Coach Edwards said "Sure, I'll get a Stop warch and we'll ler Greg rime him" So our we wem to rhe indoor rrack facility and rhere was Srefan Fernholm ready aod waiting. Srefan is abour 6-1 and looks like he weighs 220 or less so when he said he weighed 270 I was amazed. Thar is amazed unril he tU.lk off his swears and rwo massive bulging rhighs emerged. Srefan is lean yer very very dense.

Years of proper training has developed him imo a very unique physical specimen. Coach Robinson and Srefan wem to the srarring line whde Coach Edwards and I were ar rhe finish line I sensed rhis was going to be somerhing special so I geared myself ro be especially alerr ro rime Stefan correCtly The splir second Srefan begun ro move I started rhar warch. I felt I did my parr perfectly at rhe srarr. Bur somerhing happened Coach Robinson W,IS waving his arms. He wamed Srefan [() Stop because of a horrible srarr. However, Stefan was roaring rowards us. I'll guarantee you one rhing, Coach Edwards nor [ were abour to ger in Srefan's way and rell him to srarr over.

We didn'r even have rime ro s,ly '"Good Gracious he is fast." Srefan was like a tornado. I've never seen anyrhing like it. When he crossed rhe finish line, he was actualJy picking up speed and gerring fasrer. Mosr big men will ger slower ar abour .'\0 yards. I sropped the warch perfectly. I didn'r dare look ar the warch jusr yer but looked ar Srefan wind down ro a stop. Ir was rhen I noticed Coach Edwards. He jusr stood rhere dazed wirh his mourh wide open. He didn'r move. Now thar I rhink abour ir, ir was prerty funny. Coach Robinson caughr us ar rhe finish line and excl<1imed" He got a bad srarr, I tried ro stop him, whar's his rime.'"

It was rhen I finally glanced down [() look ,It rhe time. [ can srill see rhose numbers: ,t4111 I can srill see Coach Edwards, srill nor Inoving murrer, "Thar's fasrer rhan anyone we have" Srefan apologerically stammered "Thar's [(Xl bad, sorry coaches, usually I ger a ·H rime." Srephan is from Norrkoping, Sweden and ,mends BYU as a rrack arhlere. Lasr spring he won borh rbe discus and shor championship in Wesrern Arhleric Conference. He's been in rhe Unired Srares since 1980 and has been married for almosr two years. Srefan is a leading candidare ro represem Sweden in rhe 84 Los Angeles Olympics in rhe discus. Srefan is also a novelty in (he discus ring as he is a left handed rhrower.

This could prove [() be a serious disadvanrage. Srefan feels srerioids can help you ger a max fasrer in rhe weighr room bur he is nor sure ir helps rhe discus. In Sweden sreroid use is considered atxlllr rbe same as we in the Unired Srares would consider heroin use. I asked Srefan about Naurilus: "I don'r like it. Maybe for rehabilirarjon. Naurilus can'r rake your very far,l could never ger 2(X) feet. Besides you don'r ger rhe same sarisfaCtion. Srefan would also nor do one ser of 1:2 reps for a workout. '"Ir would ruin me exclaims Srefan. Srefan believes very srrongly in Continued on Page 5 WORLD'S FASTEST BIG MAN Continued From Page" However, Stefan was given permission to go "half speed"

and just glide through working on form running, So Stefan went down and did just that He lookec{ totally different No wind. No huffing and puffing. He did a form run forty, He did not l(xJk fast at alL It just was not the same as when he did it for Coach Edwards a week earlier. I told Stefan thanks for the interview and casually went over to look at the automatic electronic time nor expecting anything. I stood there frozen as I look at that time, I turned to Stefan and gtinned saying ·'45 ain't too bad"

You are probably wondering why doesn't Stefan play f(x)tbaJP He might, after the Olympics, He could play for BYU next fall as a senior but fcx)(ball is a different sPJrr tOtally and it would be very very diffinllt, However, couldn't you JUSt see Stefan roaring down on a kick otf or blocking a kick': Anyway, I rest my case for Stefan fernholm He is the "World's Fastest Big Man" keeping records. He's kept a diary since age 16 and feels if you're really serious you must have one. Stefan injured his wrist severely two years ago and because of this, he can't throw the shot, do cleans or power snatches. To keep competing in track, Stefan took up the discus and never throws the shOt in practice.

He will, however, throw once or twice in a big meet GJach Robinson is also planning to enter Stefan in the 60 meter sprint this year in indoor track since he is faster than the sprinters. Du ri ng au r interview, Stefa nth rew the discus, went th rough a weight workout, dunked the basketball twenty times, did a standing long jump of nearly II feet and now was going to run a forty for time on our BFS Electronic Precision Timer. However, Coach Robinson appeared aod said "No, Stefan you are too tired and I don't want to rake a chance on pulling a hamstring"

275 270 265 250 240 2"5 2"0 220 200 J',2 24 2"

X65'7" 62' 57' X 56' X 61 ' 12 LB X X 56 81 60 meter 57 8 LB 91 60 meter 40 8 LB XStefan will throw the discus in Olympics, Stefan can do power curls with 7,25"

From BFS Magazine — March/April 1984. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).