For more than 60 years, Martin Drake was synonymous with AAU Strength Sports. Drake passed away this week at the age of 73. As a longtime AAU volunteer, he will be dearly missed by all that had the privilege of meeting him.

Beloved throughout the AAU Strength Sports community, Drake had served as the National Chairman for strength sports since 2010. But his involvement in AAU ran longer than the sport of powerlifting has existed. Drake first joined the AAU in 1962 to participate in weightlifting and was there to begin powerlifting when the first tournament was held for it in 1964. He was an active competitor in all age groups of the sport, including as recently as 2019. Through his decades of competition, he won over 40 world titles and held a vast number of world records. He currently still holds 10 age division AAU American Records spanning the Open division to Masters 65-69 and eight AAU Lifetime World Records.

Through his efforts, AAU combined Powerlifting, Weightlifting, Mas Wrestling, Bodybuilding, and Feats of Strength under the umbrella of Strength Sports. Drake was chairman of it all, and won the 2011 Brother Bennett Award for extraordinary, selfless service to AAU Strength Sports. He would serve as Meet Director of over 50 AAU National, International, and World Meets. In addition to being a long-serving AAU Meet Director and National Chairman, Drake also served as an international referee.

Drake’s passing will be a loss felt by all in the AAU Strength Sports community.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN in memory of Martin Drake. 

Arrangement plans are not currently announced, but will be updated here when released.