PNW Legends Inducted into the USAW Masters Hall of Fame.
Photo: L. Hatmaker
2022 was a busy year for the Pacific Northwest. We are proud to announce 2 of our long time members and contributors have been inducted into the USAW Masters Hall Of Fame for their lifetime of dedication to the community and the sport.
First up, Christopher Milne Dariotis.
“Chris started exercising in 1958 when his father, Chris Dariotis, Sr. took him along with his 2 brothers to exercise at The Washington Athletic Club in Seattle. He was 9 years old. He was not able to do either a pull up or a sit up when he started.
6 years later his father added a room onto their garage and started a weightlifting club, American Systems. It was one of the first clubs on the West Coast, eventually training about 20 lifters. They competed in Seattle and Portland, often with The Calpians, coached by John Thrush. John was a successful high school athlete in track and football, which he attributed to his weight training, but he was not a particularly stand out weightlifter.
Chris moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College for 1 year. He joined the Mavrik Weightlifting Club, coached by Bob Hise II and trained with Bob Hise III, Dan Cantore, Walt Gioseffi, Jack Hill Jr., Peter Rawluk and others. In 1968 Chris lifted at the Teenage Nationals, but only lifting in the warm up room due to a problem with his entry. Had he been on stage Chris would have won by 100 pounds against his future team mate, Russ Prior, future Pan American Champion from Canada.
Chris stopped training for 3 years, moved again to Paris, France and joined a team, Le Sporting Club de Neuilly, coached by Andre DeChantres, who came to The Masters World Championships in Sydney, Australia in 2009, 38 years later, bringing his original club membership card with him to give to Chris.
Chris moved again to Vancouver, Canada to continue with college and he joined the Spartak Weightlifting Club, coached by Wes Woo. With that team Chris won 5 consecutive Canadian Championships, achieving his lifetime best total of 300 kg weighing 82.5 kg.
Chris moved again to Washington State and did not compete again for 22 years although he still exercised in a gym. Chris met Sam Maxwell who had been an international weightlifter and they began training together. Chris reinvigorated his interest in weightlifting, so that at age 51 his best lifts were 110.5 kg snatch and 147.5 kg clean and jerk weighing 90 kg.
Chris entered his first Masters World Championships in Orlando, Florida in 2000, and continued to compete in 15 Masters World Championships, winning 7 gold medals, 6 silver, and 1 bronze.
Second up, Rob Arroyo.
Level 2 USAW Coach, IWF Level 2 Referee, USAW Master Weightlifter.
For over 35 years, weightlifting has played a major role in Rob’s life.
During his career Rob has competed, coached, managed, gym owner,
referee and served in the U.S. Army as an officer for 22 years.
Rob has been a competitive Olympic Weightlifting since college. He was a 4 times LAI (Intra-Athletic Collegiate League in PR) Champion and record holder in the 75kg category.
Rob was member of the Puerto Rico Olympic Weightlifting Team and record holder from 1997 to 1998, 145 Snatch and 175 C&J at the 83kg. He has traveled all over the world including Venezuela, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Spain, Canada, Germany, Denmark, New Zealand, Italy, Turkey & Bulgaria, training & competing Olympic Weightlifters at the National &
International level.
Today as a member of the U.S.A. Olympic Weightlifting Rob is extremely active in Olympic Weightlifting sports. Among the many activities Rob is a U.S.A. Master Weightlifter, a Certified USAW Level 2 Coach (Advanced Sports Performance), IWF Level 2 Referee, volunteer in the Washington Local Olympic Weightlifting Committee, Treasure for U.S.A. Weightlifting. Vice-Chairman / Secretary for Master Pan-American Weightlifting Federation. He is one of the head coaches at Fort-Nash Weightlifting Club.
Rob is the current Master Pan-American, National & American Champion and record holder in the 89 kg, 50-54 category. In addition, Rob placed 1st
at the 2019 Master World Championship in Montreal, Canada and 1st Place & Records holder at the 2017 Master World Games & IWF Master Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.”
( Written by Les Simonton )