Bruce W. Ketler of Grove City has a weightlifting career that dates back to 1964 when he was just 15 years old. Forty years later, he is still an active and successful competitor in USA Weightlifting's Master's Program as part of Team Pendragon, lifting in the 105-kilo (231 pounds) weight class.

Bruce's first meet was in September 1964 at the Pittsburgh Boys Club where he lifted in the 132-pound class and placed last with lifts of 110-pound snatch, 110-pound clean-and-press and 165-pound clean-and-jerk, for a total of 385 pounds. He continued to lift in almost every Allegheny Mountain Association-sanctioned meet for the next four years. Highlights during this time include winning the A.M.A Juniors at the Pittsburgh YMHA in 1966, placing second in the 165-pound class at the 1966 A.M.A. Seniors, and winning the Best Lifter Award at the 1967 Armstrong County Open while competing at 165 pounds. At that meet he had nearly double the total of his first meet just three years earlier with lifts of 220-220-290 for a 730-pound total.

After competing in the 1968 Armstrong County Open, Bruce gave up lifting due to educational and employment demands. In 1971, while in the Air Force, he started training again, entered a local meet in Sacramento, Calif., and qualified for the California State Championships in the 198-pound class. While training for the State Championships, he severely dislocated his shoulder and retired as a competitive lifter.

Inspired by the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and turning 40 years old, Bruce came out of retirement and started training again. Entering an open meet in Cleveland in the spring of 1989, he had the very good fortune of meeting Lou DeMarco, Roy and Kurt Setterberg. His friendship and association with them continues to this day. With Lou DeMarco becoming his mentor and coach, Bruce continued to train, compete, and placed second in his age group at the Masters American Open in November 1997.

Starting in the early 1990s, with considerable encouragement from Jim Pauli and Harry McCoy, he was the meet director of the Grove City College Fall Classic and the Grove City College Open weightlifting meets and became a certified referee. These meets were very popular and attracted lifters from throughout the East Coast.

1998 was a huge setback for Bruce as he fought a life-threatening illness throughout much of that year, which included numerous hospital stays and four surgeries. The illness and changes at Grove City College brought an end to his role as a meet director.

After losing nearly 70 pounds of body weight, he began training again in the fall of 1998 and has been at it ever since. Bruce credits his friend, Lou DeMarco, with helping him on his technique, writing his training programs, keeping him focused on getting better. Back in competition, Bruce placed second at the 2003 Masters American Open with a 75-kilo (165-pound) snatch, 105-kilo (231-pound) clean-and-jerk for a 180-kilo (396-pound) total. Bruce again totaled 180 at the inaugural Pittsburgh Open on January 3, 2004 and at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic on March 6, 2004. In June 2004, he improved his total to 185 kilos (407 pounds) with a snatch of 80 kilos (176 pounds) and a clean-and-jerk of 105 kilos (231 pounds).

Bruce plans to continue training and competing, citing the positive impact weightlifting has had on his life overall: "Looking back, it was the great sport of Olympic weightlifting that helped save my life and enabled me to meet and become friends with so many women and men who not only shared my passion for the sport but whose integrity and principles had a profound and positive influence on me."