Page 106 - KBHA Bulletin 12
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In 1897 Cottie, now considerably healthier, stepped up to a Prep. School, Christ’s
College, at Blackheath in S. E. London. Later he went on to College at Arlington House
in Brighton with a view to University study at “The Royal Mountain Academy, Freiberg
in Sachsen” in 1903, at the age of 17. This was the oldest School of Mines in the world.
In the holidays, when he was 16, he started to learn wrestling in London and because of
his developing strength he immediately showed great promise.
In Germany he spent a lot of his non-studying time fighting in competitions in nearby
towns where wrestling formed an essential part of all German fairs. He never failed to
pin any of his opponents. He also reported for the “Athletik Sportzeitung” and this gave
him the opportunity of wrestling in major tournaments round the country. The Zeitung
said: ”Young Tromp Van Diggelen is startlingly swift and enormously strong, he
remains undefeated amongst the amateurs. He beat….. ……. Etc . He will become as
famous as an amateur as Hackenschmidt is as a professional. He is undefeated and we
foretell a tremendous future for this athlete.”
When Tromp returned to London his old trainer Gruhn announced that the World’s
Professional Light-Heavy Champion, Lasartesse, was offering a purse of 25 guineas to
anyone he failed to throw in 10 minutes! Gruhn persuaded the 19 year old amateur to
try, crazy as it seemed. With great good fortune for the kid Lasartesse suddenly tried an
unorthodox move but the quick thinking, surprising speed and strength of young Tromp
was too much for the Champion. Tromp threw and pinned Lasartesse. The bout was
over in 7 minutes! He even got a kiss on each cheek from the sporting Frenchman.
By 1906 the mining studies were successfully completed and there was a change of
plan. In 1907 Tromp registered at a technical college specialising in Automobilbau, with
a view to his father taking an interest in the talked-of French company Renault. This
didn’t materialise but he had adventures in the early motor-racing field. Then he won
the first body building contest in modern times being crowned the modern “Apollo”;
this was the forerunner of the “Mr Universe” contest. S.H. meanwhile had the huge
misfortune of being carried away on the stock market and losing his fortune.
