Bob Steckle was involved in numerous sports in his youth, but his athletics activities kicked off in earnest when he was a student at the University of Guelph. There, he played on the football team and won the Wildman Trophy in 1951 as “the senior or graduating player who exemplified to the highest degree the traits of sportsmanship, leadership, gentlemanly conduct, and who has maintained good scholarship.” He also took up wrestling as a light-heavyweight and began representing Canada internationally at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where he competed in the freestyle division. His next stop was the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, where he was runner-up behind Jan Theron of South Africa. He attended his second Olympics in 1956, where he was fourth in Greco-Roman and also competed in freestyle. Additionally, he carried the Canadian flag in the Opening Ceremony.
At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Steckle was third behind Theron and Muhammad Ali of Pakistan. He then attended his third and final Olympics in 1960, but was eliminated early in the freestyle competition. His final year in active competition was 1963, but he exited in style by taking silver at that year’s Pan-American Games. Domestically, he earned 12 Canadian titles (freestyle in 1951, 1952, 1954, 1956-1960, 1962, and 1963 and Greco-Roman in 1952, 1956, and 1960) and has been inducted into the Waterloo County, Guelph Gryphons, and Canadian Wrestling Halls of Fame. By career, he was a farmer.
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