Memory Minder

Emil (Koroskenyi) Koroschenko was born in 1911 in Hungary and arrived in Sydney in 1949 after a varied career all over Europe, including a term in the British army.

Before World War II broke out, Koroschenko competed at Hitler’s Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 where he won the title of the “World’s Strongest Man”. He also held the title of European Wrestling Champion.

Displays of strength performed included the time in Berlin when he dragged a truck loaded with one hundred people by a rope held in his teeth. He repeated this performance with a double decker bus London. He also claimed he could lift a weight of 740lbs with one hand, snap a pair of handcuffs like a piece of string and bite through a dog chain with his teeth.

In Australia, Emil was taken into the hearts of people and was known as the “Gentle Giant”.

On one occasion a large car broke down on the tramlines in the city, blocking the traffic for some time. Emil happened to be passing by and seeing the situation he took hold of the front of the car and lifted it onto the footpath. He then picked up the back of the car and did the same thing, thereby allowing the free flow of traffic.

His Headstone reads:
All the runners at the stadium are trying to win, but only one of them gets the prize. You must run in the same way, meaning to win. All fighters at the games go into strict training; they do this just to win a wreath that will wither away, but we do it for a wreath that will never wither. That is how it I run, intent on winning; that is how I fight, not beating air.

Courtesy of Mr. Merv Manning

Emil (Koroskenyi) Koroschenko was born in 1911 in Hungary and arrived in Sydney in 1949 after a varied career all over Europe, including a term in the British army.

Before World War II broke out, Koroschenko competed at Hitler’s Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 where he won the title of the “World’s Strongest Man”. He also held the title of European Wrestling Champion.

Displays of strength performed included the time in Berlin when he dragged a truck loaded with one hundred people by a rope held in his teeth. He repeated this performance with a double decker bus London. He also claimed he could lift a weight of 740lbs with one hand, snap a pair of handcuffs like a piece of string and bite through a dog chain with his teeth.

In Australia, Emil was taken into the hearts of people and was known as the “Gentle Giant”.

On one occasion a large car broke down on the tramlines in the city, blocking the traffic for some time. Emil happened to be passing by and seeing the situation he took hold of the front of the car and lifted it onto the footpath. He then picked up the back of the car and did the same thing, thereby allowing the free flow of traffic.

His Headstone reads:
All the runners at the stadium are trying to win, but only one of them gets the prize. You must run in the same way, meaning to win. All fighters at the games go into strict training; they do this just to win a wreath that will wither... More