April 2004

D.C. spotlighted in Ironman magazine

Keith Wassung of Charleston, S.C., doesn't just defy the stereotype of the "strong but dumb" weight lifter ‑‑ he shatters it.

He was a successful competitive weight lifter, winning the state power‑lifting titles in Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina and Nebraska. In 1984, he won the Fifth Naval District Wrestling Championship and in 1986, the All‑Navy power lifting championship.

Along with the brawn is a remarkable brain. Wassung has written a book and is author of more than 60 articles on health‑related topics. His most recent accomplishment, an article in the February issue of Ironman magazine, may open the door for future pieces in that publication. He's become a popular speaker on health education and research, and usually manages to use his writing and presentations to promote chiropractic.

Like so many other chiropractic advocates, Wassung's dedication to the profession stems from his personal experience as a patient. In 1987, serious health problems had him taking 18 drugs a day and his doctors weren't hopeful. "I was told to 'get my affairs in order' by the military doctors because they did not feel I would live more than a couple of months," he recalls. That's when he discovered chiropractic.

"I met a chiropractor who told me that he could help me," he says. "At that point in my life, I was desperate for any kind of a solution, so I agreed to try chiropractic. I made a complete recovery and actually went on to even greater achievements in competitive weight lifting."

In fact, after only six weeks of chiropractic adjustments, Wassung placed in the top 10 of a national weight lifting competition and went on to win the South Carolina State Olympic Lifting Championship in 1989.

He had proven his abilities in weight lifting, and decided to turn his attention to another goal. "I retired shortly thereafter and committed my efforts to teaching people about chiropractic," he explains. "In addition to the chiropractic and health research articles, I also began writing weight training articles for several websites a couple of years ago."

His impact is being felt not only in the weight lifting and physical fitness communities, but even among school kids. When asked to help develop a presentation on chiropractic for an elementary school class, he came up with a game he dubbed "Health Jeopardy."

"The game is similar to the television game 'Jeopardy' except that all the categories and questions relate to chiropractic and health and it is played with teams rather than individuals," he notes in an article posted on his website. "The teacher who had invited us in told us that she had never seen the children so excited about a school event! I have done hundreds of these games in schools all over the country and have observed similar results with literally thousands of families being introduced to the chiropractic message." The web article provides details on how doctors can use the game to educate children in their community about chiropractic.

The weight lifting trophies were satisfying to Wassung, but helping kids lead healthier lives through chiropractic is an achievement that no bench press or dead lifting squat record can equal.

To learn more about Keith Wassung, visit his website at www.riverhorsepubl.com.