N. Gregory Mankiw, a Harvard professor most known for teaching Economics 10 and almost helping Mitt Romney win the 2012 Presidential Election, has one more achievement to add to his resume: being the world’s strongest man.
Participating in the World’s Strongest Man competition last week in California, Mankiw outlasted seven other challengers en route to a victory. Established in 1977, the event is an annual four-day contest that many fitness experts describe as the “most grueling” competition in the world.
Mankiw, a man well known for his academic accomplishments, acknowledged that his athletic success was improbable. “I get it—when people see me, they don’t see someone who should be spending all of his time in the gym,” Mankiw said. “Instead, they see a gifted intellectual who inspires social change among those around him.”
Mankiw’s victory was not without its suspense. Entering the last event of the competition—an airplane push across a 100 foot track—Mankiw found himself head-to-head with Zydrunas Savickas, last year’s winner. The competitors remained locked in a virtual dead heat until they reached the finish line, where replays show Mankiw barely prevailed.
“It turns out my neck crossed the finish line just before Big Z’s did,” Mankiw told The Crimson. Comfortable and at ease, Mankiw spoke with his signature poise. “Every day I thank Ryan Miller for punching me in fourth grade and giving me that neck.” He paused briefly. “And to think it’s only because I had a comparative advantage in getting girls.”
Mankiw went to extraordinary lengths to prepare for the event. After completing the grueling home workout routine P90X in 20 days, Mankiw set off to Kenya to train with world-renowned fitness guru Ibrahim Hussein, where he instantly became the country’s athletic sensation.
“I had trained before in places like Wiknam and Moldavia, but nothing compared to the treatment I received from the Kenyan people,” Mankiw said smiling. “And even better, no sign of that Kony guy.”
However, the honeymoon didn’t last long. Mankiw recalled a particularly uncomfortable moment he spent at a government fundraiser. “I joked to the President that my mile time was better than his country’s Gini Coefficient,” Mankiw said. “I was on the next flight back to the United States.”
Back in America, Mankiw hired David W. Johnson, the Ec 10 head preceptor, to carry on with his training. After the competition, Johnson’s involvement with Mankiw was briefly the cause of some controversy; Savickas, in his broken English, alleged that Johnson “did all of [Mankiw’s] work,” including competing in the “first, second, and third days of the event” for him. The accusations were later dropped mysteriously.
Mankiw, however, has no hard feelings. “I have the deepest respect for Zydrunas Savickas,” Mankiw said, “who, by the way, is an Ec 10 alum.” After being informed that Savickas didn’t take Ec 10 or even attend Harvard, Mankiw let out a rare display of emotion. “What do I know? I barely teach the class.”
Mankiw promises an even better performance next year. “My philosophy in life is that if things improve from year to year—even if they’re marginal—they’re worth attaining,” Mankiw paused. “Or at least that’s what I say about buying my textbook.”
