Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jeff Dabe, an arm wrestler from Minnesota, who has been given the nickname Popeye due to his large arms and hands. Moreover, if you are wondering, the answer is yes, the real-life Popeye has found his beautiful and sweet Olive.
After seeing a picture of Jeff Dabe, there is a huge possibility the following lyrics from your childhood popped into your head:
I’m Popeye the Sailor Man. I’m Popeye the Sailor Man. I’m strong to the finich, cause I eats me spinach. I’m Popeye the Sailor Man.
Jeff Dabe from Stacy, Minnesota, like the beloved 1929 cartoon character, was born with pronounced muscles, large forearms and hands even when he has not been eating any spinach. Medical experts assumed that he was suffering from local gigantism, which is:
… a condition in which a certain part of the body acquires larger than normal size due to excessive growth of the anatomical structures or abnormal accumulation of substances. It is more common in fingers and toes, where it is termed macrodactyly. However, sometimes an entire limb may be enlarged.
However, a slew of tests proved that America’s real Popeye the Sailor Man is healthy as can be. With a clean bill of health in hand, Dabe decided to make good usage of his enormous limbs by becoming a professional arm wrestler in the 1980s.
With forearms that measured 48 centimeters or 19 inches in circumference and hands that can hold two basketballs, Dabe earned a nickname and became a champion in his field. He explained:
“I arm wrestled as a senior in high school. The fans way back then were the ones that named me Popeye.”
However, in 1986, Dabe was forced to end his career, not because he met a real-life Bluto, but because he injured his left arm. According to his Facebook page, it appears that Dabe was forced to have other priorities after the injury, he met his real-life Olive named Gina, who encouraged him not to give up on his dreams.
Dabe decided to focus on his right arm and was able to build up strength by lifting heavy car parts, farming, chopping wood, shoveling and working with heavy equipment. Gina revealed:
“I always encourage Jeff no matter what he does – and it’s so fun. Everyone thinks Jeff is really funny and we do lots of goofy things together. This is just the next phase. I love the tournaments, and he gets me on aeroplanes to nice hotels and beautiful places. We are so proud of him.”
He also became very passionate by sea creatures and gardening. All the work paid off, because, in 2012, he returned to the sport and killed the competition to become Minnesota State Champion.
Dabe humbly said that he is very grateful for all the opportunities that the World Armwrestling League has given to him and his family. The athlete, who visits countless cities and stays in fancy locations, said:
“Thanks to the World Armwrestling League I am now competing with people from all over America.It’s so fun to travel to places we wouldn’t normally go. I was always good at arm wrestling, but the size of my hands did shock people at first – I had the strength to back it up. People freak out when they see my hands in real life.”
Those, who know Jeff Dabe, say his heart is even bigger than his hands.
What are your thoughts on Jeff Dabe, the real-life Popeye?
