A Big Man with a Big Heart

By Monica Davis

Emanuel Yarbrough (also known as Tiny) holds a World Guinness Record as the world’s largest living athlete. At 6 feet, 8 inches and 700 pounds, Emanuel has a long list of accomplishments, with more to come in the future.

For over 20 years, he has been involved in athletics, including football, wrestling, judo, mixed martial arts and Sumo wrestling.

He initiated the Sumo Kids Foundation program in schools in Buffalo, New York, which teaches kids about discipline and sports. The program is aimed at troubled youth, to keep them off the streets and away from violence. It teaches them to stay motivated, to remain focused and realize their potential. Emanuel talks about his travel experiences and how his life has been enriched through such opportunities. The program has been well-received in cities throughout the United States.

Emanuel’s goal is to inform and inspire youth concerning the importance of remaining active and healthy and maintaining a positive attitude about life. “Sumo wrestling is a sport for larger athletes, but you still have to train and be prepared to compete”. Kids need to be encouraged to be active, even though it’s difficult in an age where computers and other electronic equipment provide their main sources of entertainment. They may provide mental stimulation but these diversions do not promote healthy lifestyles. Emanuel knows very well how difficult it can be to maintain a healthy diet and weight. He strives to help people of all ages lose weight but his focus is mainly on children because it is important to establish good eating habits and maintain healthy lifestyles early in life. His ultimate goal is not to teach them to become Sumo Wrestlers but to inspire them to realize their potential to accomplish their dreams.

His path to success has been littered with stumbling blocks, but he states that “we all have ups and downs, but you must apply yourself and try to maintain a positive frame of mind. Even when I’m in a negative frame of mind and I get a little behind. I never let it get to a point where I don’t think I can recover.” What pulls him back is doing something positive the next day.

Emanuel views life from a philosophical point of view. “People are people’” he states, “and they are going to do or say things.” He has been on the receiving end of negative comments, but as he has grown older, he has learned that “sometimes people say negative things about others to make themselves feel better. They may have some problems within themselves and trying to demean me is going to make them feel better, which is not helping them in any way, and they may even have deeper problems than I have.”

He urges young people to stay focused on living healthy lifestyles. “I learned later in life there is so much in this world to see and to do, and if these young kids can jump in now and not let things like this impede them, the earlier they start the more things they have to look forward to.” Start by taking small steps to change bad habits and keep active, is his advice.

Emanuel has other aspirations besides being the best at Sumo Wrestling and Judo. Becoming a radio sportscaster has been a long-time dream. He would like to bring happiness to kids who are terminally ill by playing Santa Claus. He is also writing a book about his life and experiences as the world’s largest athlete and his extraordinary experiences as an Ambassador of Sumo wrestling.

Emanuel has set a goal to compete in the 2008 Judo Championships but he must lose weight to compete. As most of us know and have experienced, weight loss is a challenge but he wants to lose 300 plus pounds. Preparing for this endeavor will require that he train but he is on the right track to succeed. “It is going to be very daunting, but it’s attainable,” he says. “If there’s something worth working for, it’s worth putting the effort into it. The ability to live again is definitely something worth working for.”

He realizes that when you’ve reached the weight that he has, dieting and exercise are only a part of the solution. “You have to look at things from a holistic perspective.” He states that “by starving yourself to lose weight, you’re doing yourself a disservice.”

He is no stranger to hard work. After all, he trained for Judo and to become a Sumo wrestler and he also played football in college. He knows he can accomplish his goals. “It’s just a matter of getting the mental and nutritional aspect because that’s a new venue for me.”

Emanuel Yarbrough’s ability to inspire and motivate people has been amazing. From world leaders to young children, he has given them all a positive outlook on life.