Topic: News: Andy Garcy had a passion for his sport

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Link

News: Andy Garcy had a passion for his sport
By BRIAN GOMEZ

A happy-go-lucky guy with a passion for weightlifting, Andy Garcy always dreamed big, and he boasted the carefree laugh and never-ending smile to prove it.

He wanted to compete in the Olympics, like his father. He envisioned a career in coaching. He thought about starting a family.

He even pictured himself flexing his muscles, swinging padded rods and tossing people around on "American Gladiators," the reinvented TV show.

"He would have hurt one of the gladiators," said Garcy's friend, Andy Haman.

The former Olympic Training Center resident died Jan. 16 from an unknown cause at his Colorado Springs apartment. He was 30.

Colorado Springs police don't suspect foul play, and suicide has been ruled out, Haman said. The El Paso County Coroner's Office is awaiting autopsy results.

A viewing will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday at Mountain View Mortuary, followed by services at 2 p.m. Donations to help offset funeral costs are being accepted at Flex Gym & Fitness, where Garcy worked as a personal trainer and ran a weightlifting club.

Born outside Chicago, Garcy, a 2005 Colorado-Colorado Springs graduate, trained under his father, Tony, a two-time Olympian. Tony Garcy placed fourth at the 1964 Tokyo Games.

Andy Garcy moved to the OTC in 1996, then won a national title and a Pan American Championships medal. He missed the cut at the 2000 Olympic trials.

"Andy loved weightlifting. He loved being around athletes," said Dennis Snethen, interim executive director of Colorado Springs-based USA Weightlifting. "We've lost a good one that was trying to give back to the sport."

Flex Gym & Fitness owner Jeff Boyle said Garcy "expected a lot from his clients. ... He was a good guy. He'll be missed."

When Garcy, recently divorced without kids, didn't lift weights, he rode his motorcycle, a modest street bike, and walked his dog, a black Lab. He also hit the town, played the guitar, sketched and fished.

Most of all, he put a priority on fun.

"He loved life," Haman said. "He was a larger-than-life character. He had a beautiful smile. ... It's a great loss, losing such a fun-loving motivator."