Robert MOLLE

After taking up wrestling in high school, Bob Molle entered Simon Fraser University, joined the football team, and quickly demonstrated his talent in both sports. A four-time freestyle super-heavyweight Canadian champion, he gained attention on the international scene by winning bronze at the 1983 Pan American Games and coming in fifth at that year’s World Championships. He was selected to represent Canada at the 1984 Summer Olympics, but suffered a back injury shortly before the tournament that nearly ended his career. Nonetheless, only 18 days after surgery, he was wrestling in an Olympic final, losing against Bruce Baumgartner of the United States and claiming silver.

The following year Molle was drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League and played with them until 1992, winning Grey Cups as league champion in 1988 and 1990. After his retirement from competition he continued to coach wrestling at the University of Manitoba, for which he won the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union’s Coach of the Year title in 1991 and 1993. He has also been active in sales, motivational speaking, bodybuilding, marathons, triathlons, and Ironman competitions, and has written a book entitled “Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Improving your Performance”. He has been inducted into the Simon Fraser University (1990), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (1991), Canadian Wrestling (1992), Saskatoon Sports (1993), Saskatchewan Sports (1995), and British Columbia Sports (1999) Halls of Fame.