The University Of Louisiana's National Championship Weightlifting Teams

The University Of Louisiana's National Championship Weightlifting Teams

A Companion Book to the Documentary The Ragin' 13

image: weightlifter

The University Of Louisiana's National Championship Weightlifting Teams

The University Of Louisiana's National Championship Weightlifting Teams

A Companion Book to the Documentary The Ragin' 13

University of Louisiana’s National Championship Weightlifting Teams

by Warren A. Perrin, Attorney at Law


Part Three: The Culture of Winning

Chapter 4 – The Documentary: Ragin’ 13

I was a member—and captain in 1967—of the 1966, 1967 and 1968 national collegiate championship weightlifting teams. I approached the filmmaker Nicholas Campbell with the idea for a documentary on the team’s history. Happily, he agreed to produce The Ragin’ 13. We all came from unique backgrounds but helped each other to gain a positive attitude through hard work and winning thus gaining pride. It was a shared passion for the sport man against iron that forged the team and its successes. The team had no university sponsored coach; we were self-regulated and motivated and unanimously decided among ourselves which seven members would represent the university at the national meets. I do not recall there ever being any disagreements. The film shows that we had individual commitments to our group effort.

I envisioned the making of a weightlifting documentary as an inspiring story of the 45 student-athletes from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s from diverse backgrounds, who all came together to organize a weightlifting team that dominated the sport. Happily, the team members’ determination and camaraderie remain strong to this day. The film was financed by donations from the former lifters.

In March, 1967, the author is shown completing a press of 245 pounds in the NCAA National Collegiate Weightlifting Championships.