Donald Carthew Oliver (16 April 1937 – 26 February 1996) was a New Zealand

weightlifter Olympic weightlifting, or Olympic-style weightlifting (officially named Weightlifting), is a sport in which athletes compete in lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to overhead, with each athlete trying to successfully lift ...

and fitness centre founder. He represented his country at three Olympic Games, and won two Commonwealth medals, including gold in 1966 in Kingston.

Early life and family

Born in the

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

suburb of Avondale on 16 April 1937, Oliver was educated at

Avondale College Avondale College is a state coeducational secondary school located in the central Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Avondale. With a roll of students from Years 9–13 (ages 12–18), it is the third largest secondary school in New Zealand. ...

. On 18 March 1967, he married Maureen Baty, and the couple had three children.

Weightlifting

Oliver won the gold medal at the

1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 4 to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions. They were followed by the 1966 Commonwealth P ...

in the men's heavyweight division. At the

1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Australia, from 22 November to 1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth. The ...

he won the silver medal in the same division. Oliver represented New Zealand at three Olympic Games in the heavyweight division. At the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

, Oliver lifted a combined weight of 425 kg and finished in 13th place. Four years later in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

at the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this ho ...

he lifted 480 kg and finished in ninth place. In his last Olympics, Oliver recorded his best finish lifting 490 kg and finishing in eighth place at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, where he was also the New Zealand team flagbearer at the opening ceremony. In all, Oliver won 10 New Zealand national weightlifting titles in the heavyweight division, and he was the New Zealand record holder in that division from 1959 to 1968. At the

1974 Commonwealth Games The 1974 British Commonwealth Games ( mi, 1974 Taumāhekeheke Commonwealth) were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. The Games were off ...

in Christchurch, Oliver was the New Zealand weightlifting team coach.

Work and business

Oliver was a butcher by trade. From 1952 to 1973, he worked as a retail butcher, production boner, and plant safety and training officer. He tutored apprentice butchers at the Manukau Technical Institute between 1973 ad 1976. In 1975, he opened his first gym, the Don Oliver Health Centre, and he went on to own six gyms in Auckland, and start his own brand of fitness equipment. He was a personal trainer to several

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

, including Michael Jones,

Eroni Clarke Eroni Clarke (born 31 March 1969) is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played for Auckland, the Blues, the Highlanders and the All Blacks at international level. Clarke made 155 appearances for Auckland, making him the fifth (equal wi ...

Va'aiga Tuigamala Va'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala Pulelua Fesola'i (4 September 1969 – 24 February 2022), sometimes known as Inga Tuigamala, was a professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. Born in Samoa, he represented New Zealand in rugby union, winnin ...

and

Craig Dowd Craig Dowd born 26 October 1969 in Auckland, New Zealand is a former rugby union player and ex-coach. He played 60 test matches for New Zealand national rugby union team, New Zealand between 1993 and 2000, spending his entire provincial career ...

Other activities

Oliver served as chair of the Auckland Asthma Society, and was deacon of Glen Eden Baptist Church.

Honours

In the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours, Oliver was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for services to weightlifting and the community.

Death

Oliver died of cancer in Auckland on 26 February 1996, and he was buried at

Waikumete Cemetery Waikumete Cemetery, originally Waikomiti Cemetery, is New Zealand's largest cemetery. It occupies a site of 108 hectares in Glen Eden, New Zealand, Glen Eden, Auckland, and also contains a crematorium in the south-west corner of the cemetery. His ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, Don 1937 births 1996 deaths Sportspeople from Auckland People educated at Avondale College New Zealand male weightlifters Olympic weightlifters of New Zealand Weightlifters at the 1960 Summer Olympics Weightlifters at the 1964 Summer Olympics Weightlifters at the 1968 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games gold medallists for New Zealand Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand Weightlifters at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Weightlifters at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire Commonwealth Games medallists in weightlifting New Zealand sports coaches Deaths from cancer in New Zealand Burials at Waikumete Cemetery New Zealand businesspeople