La Conner weightlifter makes Hall of Fame

It is not a stretch to say that Chris Dariotis is a force of nature.

After all, he has repeatedly defied both age and gravity.

At 73-years-young, the La Conner business owner and commercial landscaper continues to reach new heights.

The most recent example was his induction in April into the U.S. Masters Weightlifting Hall of Fame during ceremonies in Salt Lake City.

It was the latest highlight in his second act as a competitive weightlifter.

After qualifying for the 1968 Teenage National Championships in Philadelphia and excelling as a collegiate lifter while at the University of British Columbia, Dariotis took a two-decade break from competition while he devoted his energy to building a career,

During that period, though, Dariotis was no stranger to the gym. Having worked out as a youth at the famed Washington Athletic Club in Seattle, he prioritized health and fitness by pursuing a regular exercise regimen.

One day, as the new millennium dawned, the competitive fire returned.

“This fellow walked into the gym,” Dariotis recalled, “and told me about U.S. Masters Weightlifting. He showed me a list of some American record holders. I recognized those names. I had been in contests with those guys.

“So,” he said, “I got back into it at 50.”

Muscle memory came into play for Dariotis, who had won five titles on the Canadian circuit. With U.S. Masters Weightlifting, he enjoyed similar success, sharing the platform with other competitors ages 35 and above.

Dariotis traveled the world, competing in venues from Australia to Europe to the Caribbean. He medaled at the U.S. Masters National Championships, Masters World Championships, Masters Pan-American Championships and the Howard Cohen American Masters events.

By totaling 150 points and above from his placements at those competitions – meets comprising the Grand Slam of U.S. Masters Weightlifting – Dariotis became eligible for Hall of Fame recognition.

His signature lift, one at which he has set world marks, has been the difficult clean-and-jerk, which is three moves in one – a deadlift, a clean and an overhead press. It is a lift that meshes strength with technique.

In his late 20s, Dariotis hoisted 380 pounds. When he resumed weightlifting at age 50, he managed 330 pounds. When he turned 65, Dariotis could still lift 290 pounds.

Pretty impressive when you consider the average clean-and-jerk weight for a male lifter, regardless of age, is around 200 pounds.

These days Dariotis and wife Margy, also an accomplished lifter, get additional workouts operating their popular La Conner Gardens roadside stand on Hulbert Road just outside town, where the couple markets organic fresh produce and flowers.

Dariotis compares running the business to training for big meets.

“It’s a lot like weightlifting,” he said. “It takes time and effort. But it’s something we love doing. We have people who come to see what we grow and so many of them enjoy getting naturally grown food from us.”

Dariotis grew up a suburban kid in Edmonds and was living in Mukilteo when he caught the farming bug.

“I didn’t know my neighbors,” he explained. “I decided I wanted to go someplace where I could get to know people and I wanted to have a farm.”

He ventured north of Snohomish County in search of acreage and found what he was looking for here.

So, La Conner became his home base, a move that has made a world of difference both in terms of lifestyle and competing globally in weightlifting.

His trip to Salt Lake City, for the Hall of Fame induction program, was especially uplifting.

“It was great being there,” said Dariotis, “and meeting with people we’ve trained with and competed with over the years. I could tell stories about those old weightlifters I knew when I started out and share the stories that they had been told by the weightlifters they had known.”