In a world where size is often a measure of success, Lakeland's Ken Snell is the pocket Samson - a 5 foot-4,
114-pound, two-time world power lifting champion who has given away more trophies than most athletes have earned in a lifetime. "He isn't the biggest,
but he is the best…He's 10 feet tall and bulletproof when he's on that platform," said Louis Baltz, who has watched Snell compete for two decades as
owner of the All American Gym, where Snell is a manager and strength consultant.
"When he steps on that piece of 8-by-8 (-foot) plywood, he's interested in one thing: To accomplish more than he accomplished the last time.
Ken competes against Ken on a personal basis … always a little better than the last time, and he's done that for 20 years," Baltz said. The 43-year old
Snell's power lifting career has been well documented in sports sections. He was featured in Sports Illustrated in the April 26 issue with hockey superstar
Wayne Gretzky on the cover, and his shirtless physique recently appeared in Men's Journal magazine under the heading "Perfect Specimen."
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