Dennis Hillman

Dennis Hillman attended Collyer´s School, Horsham, Sussex, and took up serious weightlifting around the time of his 18th birthday. The day before his 19th birthday, he broke four records to take his combined total to 13 Sussex and South-East Counties records in just 12 months. Record breaking would be a benchmark of Hillman´s weightlifting career and he would continue to break many regional, county, and British records. He broke the latter for the first time in November 1952.

Hillman won many titles, including the South-Eastern Counties heavyweight title many times in the 1950s. He was British champion in 1955 but failed to retain it the following year and therefore missed out on selection for the Melbourne Olympics. After after regaining the title in 1960, however, he went to the Roma Games, but nerves got the better of him and he finished 15th (out of 18) in the heavyweight class.

Hillman did his two years National Service in the Royal Air Force between 1953-55 and during his time in the RAF he joined the Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club, and in 1955 formed the Archer Barbell Club in Horsham. He made his Great Britain début against Sweden in 1956, and after help from the people of Horsham, through a fundraising appeal, he went to the European Championships in Helsinki that year but failed to win a medal.

In 1958 Hillman re-joined the Military, but this time joined the Army and served in the REME (Royal Mechanical and Electrical Engineers) as an instructor at a training battalion. In addition to training fellow recruits to be good weightlifters, he continued with his competitive career and became a member of the Torquay Barbell Gymnasium. Hillman was an electrician by trade and later emigrated to Canada. In addition to weightlifting, he was a useful discus thrower and shot putter.