By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator
Ancient Wrestling
Wrestling, or Palé, as the ancient Greeks called it, has been a staple at the Olympics since the beginning.
Milo of Croton, a wrestler from what is now southern Italy, was the crème de la crème of the sport at the time. He won six Olympiads and was described by many ancient sources as unbeatable.
Some say his strength was unparalleled, and to train for the Olympiad during the off years, he would carry a newborn calf on his back everyday until the next Olympiad took place.
By the time the next games started four years later, the cow was fully grown and weighed over 1,000 lbs.
Legend also has it he would hold a pomegranate in one hand, and dare others to try to take it from him. They all failed, and to their amazement, the gripped-pomegranate was never damaged. Whether this happened or not, we’ll let you be the judge of that — a grain of salt, anyone?
In his time, Milo of Croton was the best.
Manitoba Palé
Let’s fast forward to another excellent wrestling Olympian, but this time, from the modern era.
His name is Jim Trifunov and he was one of the greatest wrestlers that hailed from our province. His crowning achievement saw him compete in the Olympic games in 1924, 1928, and 1932.
In 1928, he was up against a strong athlete from Great Britain, Harold Sansum. Jim overpowered him to claim the bronze medal, putting him in a prestigious category: an Olympic medalist.
To date, he is one of only 17 Canadians who have medalled in the sport of wrestling at the Olympic games.
Jim’s Story
Born in Serbia in 1903, Jim immigrated to Canada with his parents seven years later. It was not until 1922, at the age of 19, that Jim took up wrestling at the local YMCA.
Naturally gifted in the sport, Jim improved to the point where he won 10 consecutive Canadian wrestling championships starting in 1923.
The following year, Jim was selected to the Canadian team and never looked back. Along with his Olympic success, Jim was also the Bantamweight Champion at the 1930 British Empire Games.
1932 was Jim’s final year competing in major competitions, but he was far from finished with wrestling.
The Legend Grows
After a successful stint in competitions, Jim gave back to wrestling and amateur sport as a volunteer. He served as a coach, administrator, and mentor with the Canadian Olympic teams in 1952, 1956 and 1960.
He also managed the Canadian teams at the British Empire Games from 1954 to 1970, and the World Championships in 1966 to1970.
His dedication to sport in Manitoba was not finished there, though. He also coached the University of Winnipeg team and served as the president of the Manitoba Amateur Wrestling Association for 25 years. 
Jim not only represented the sport of wrestling, but also volunteered with many other provincial sports organizations. He was eventually named the chairmen of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, and was a main influence in getting the organization a permanent home.
Like Milo of Croton, Jim has had a lasting impact on wrestling. He, too, achieved great success for a very long time in different ways. Jim’s escapade into the foray of wrestling will live on forever in the history books, much like Milo and his training methods.
