to a 15 year old boy with a handicap . “ We were too naïve to understand what we were getting ����� �� ������ ���� ���� ��� �������� ���� ��� lift weights , and hang out with the boys and he would become one of the boys ,” Rosen laughs . He goes on and tells the story of when he was home for college in New Jersey he had a job delivering chicken to a state mental hospital . He was waiting to get paid and while the attendant was getting the money he looked into a room and there were stainless steel cribs with adults in them . “ No way was this going to happen to Milton !” says Coach Al . At the time there were hundreds of athletes working out at the Boddy Shoppe Gym . Milton became best friends and workout partners with the likes of Freddie ������� ���� ������� ����� ����� ������ Haku ) and Rocky Johnson .
Soon Rocky and Ata Johnson moved in with the Rosen ’ s and Milton had a roommate who was 10 years younger than him ; his name was Dwayne ( yes , Dwayne ‘ The Rock ” Johnson ) but back then it was Dewey or as Milton would say “ Huey .” The 2 boys became inseparable ! Milton would pound the iron and eventually get his body weight up to 144 lbs while bench pressing 275 lbs and dead lifting 325 lbs . In addition , he was the star at a gym where there were many socalled celebrities . John Nicolcette a friend of the Rosen says : “ I was raised in that gym and was Milton ’ s age . Walk in anytime and there were athletes . Football players like Freddie , Vinnie Testaverde , Doug Williams , Steve Courson , Eric Truvillion , Jerry Eckwood , Ron Mikolajczyk , Aaron Brown and baseball players like Joe Carter , Danny Tartabull , Darryl Strawberry , Dave Magadan , Steve Henderson , etc . But , the real popular guys were the wrestlers like Ric Flair ,
Bruce Rosen , Rocky Johnson , Al Rosen , Freddie Solomon -Tampa Tribune June 5,1979
the Bushwhackers , Hercules Hernandez , Joe my truest inspirations . Overcoming obstacle in
Gomez , Scott McGhee , The British Bulldogs , Les his path , but more importantly than that , for all
Thornton , and Rocky Johnson who had his own of us who consider Milton family , he makes our army . Actor Mark Consuelos ( who is married to lives better by being himself …. and that ’ s a very
Kelly Ripa ) worked out there . special thing .”
I remember walking in one day and seeing a guy with a bunch of chains looking like a pimp and I asked Al who that was ; it turned out to be gospel singer Andre Crouch .” But , again the real star was MILTON , a guy the state had given up on , but a gym took in . Al says it often takes a village to raise a child , but in this case the child helped raise the village ( gym ). When asked about Milton , Dwayne Johnson says : “ I ’ ve ���������� ������ �� ������� ����� � ��� ��� years old . When I look back on all the years right up until today , he ’ s always been one of
On his 53 rd birthday at the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge , Milton bench pressed 30 lb dumb bells for 53 reps as the crowd consisting of former gym friends and Tri-Fitness athletes counted out loud . He is also always there to escort the women on stage during the Grace & Physique Event .
The world will soon learn more on this inspirational human being , Milton McBride Rosen !
Dwayne ( The Rock ) Johnson & Milton
Rosen family celebrate Milton ’ s birthday
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