The Brief

• Steve Phipps, a 70-year-old Pasco resident, won three gold medals at the Arm Wrestling World Championships in Japan after a 16-year hiatus from competition.

• A serious car crash in 2008 injured Phipps' neck and spinal cord, nearly ending his arm wrestling career that had already earned him 47 national championships and 19 world titles.

• After surgery, physical therapy, and years of recovery, Phipps returned to competition and earned medals in all six classes he entered in Japan.

PASCO, Wash. — Steve Phipps spent 30 years of his arm wrestling career dominating on the national and world stage. But from 2008 to 2026, he was unable to compete. 

At 70 years old, and his first time competing in 16 years, the Pasco arm wrestler just added three gold medals to his already legendary collection by winning at the Arm Wrestling World Championships in Japan.

Phipps' path to the podium this year represents far more than athletic achievement. It marks a triumphant return to a sport he thought he might never compete in again after a devastating car crash nearly took that opportunity away.

Growing up on a farm north of Pasco, Phipps discovered competitive arm wrestling at age 13 watching the Wide World of Sports. He won his first tournament at the newly built Columbia Center Mall not long after. That early victory set the stage for a career that would span decades. By age 24, he had already claimed his first U.S. National Tournament title, a win that surprised even him.

"I was pleasantly surprised with that win, a lot of people were surprised as well because normally you don't win the first time you attend," Phipps said.

The wins kept coming. By 2008, Phipps had accumulated 47 national championships and 19 world championships, establishing himself as one of the sport's elite competitors. His resume included an appearance alongside Sylvester Stallone as an extra in Over the Top and recognition as a Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Arm Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Then everything changed.

A car crash that year left Phipps with a catastrophic spinal cord injury. The impact was severe enough to crush his spinal cord down to an eighth of an inch, a fraction of its normal size. The injury created what Phipps described as golf ball-sized protrusions on both sides of his neck that pressed against the damaged spinal cord.

"My spinal cord had been crushed down to an eighth of an inch, and it looked like I had golf balls on each side of my neck from the front and the back that were pressing the spinal cord, which is supposed to be at least the size of your little finger," Phipps explained.

Surgery followed, along with extensive physical therapy. For 16 years, Phipps watched from the sidelines as others competed in the sport he loved. The injury seemed final. The comeback seemed impossible.

When doctors finally cleared him to work out again, and a blessing from his wife, he decided to pursue his dream again. 

"The stubborn farm boy in me, I said 'well maybe I can go back to arm wrestling,'" Phipps said.

Phipps competed at the national level, earning silver and bronze medals and qualifying once again for the World Championships. This return to international competition came after his 16-year absence.

Phipps competed in six different classes in Japan and earned a spot on the podium in all six, bringing home three gold medals.

"Of course being able to stand on the podium and hear the national anthem when you win the gold, that's something that's hard to forget," Phipps said.

At 70 years old, Phipps doesn't plan on slowing down. He has already set his sights on the next World Championships, scheduled for Greece next year. His legacy continues to grow, not just as a champion, but as someone who refused to let injury define his future.