Jerry Bowser, aka 'The Boston Brawler' Pushes Through for Charity

It’s been 10 years since Jerry Bowser woke up in Mass General, unable to move the left side of his body. Bowser, or as wrestling fans know him as, “The Boston Brawler,” had suffered a stroke.

The Wilmington resident and owner of High Intensity Training in Winchester, recalled that first discussion with his doctor, as he laid in the hospital bed, unable to move his left leg or arm.

“The doctors came in and said that my career was over and that I lost everything on my left side,” Bowser said. “I told them that my son has a hockey game in three weeks and my daughter was travelling for cheerleading. I told them to give me 17 days and I’m going to walk.”

Every morning for the next 16 days Bowser stayed in that bed, unable to feel anything. Then, on his self-imposed deadline, still lacking feeling on his left side, Bowser decided it was time to walk.

“Using only my right side, I threw my right leg over the bar and threw myself off the bed,” Bowser said. “I unhooked my wires and IV, grabbed the stands and walked, dragging my left leg down the hall and back.”

Eight days later the feeling returned to the left side of Bowser’s body.

After getting back to training and even some wrestling, Bowser met trainer Dave Nock.

“Nock had a different approach to training,” Bowser said. “He had this old wheelbarrow and he threw everything in it – rocks, logs you name it. And then he told me to push it to the highest point in Essex County.”

Shortly after, Bowser and Nock decided to try and raise money through pushing this wheelbarrow. His first was a 16-mile push to raise money for stroke patients at Mass General.

The following year, Bowser pushed an 800-pound wheelbarrow 40 miles from Amesbury to Woburn to raise money for pancreatic cancer research.

Now this year, Bowser is going on one more push – a “Push for Warriors.” On May 14, Bowser will be traveling down to Washington D.C. where he will push a 700-pound wheelbarrow for 22 miles to raise money for wounded soldiers.

“When you’re holding 700 or 800 pounds in your hand, walking one step at a time it’s almost impossible to describe,” Bowser said. “It’s all about the mental preparation, and that’s what’s appealing to military people.

“We’re trying to raise $ 1 million. It’s all about trying to raise money for these soldiers. It’s for a really good cause, and I’m ready for this; I’m going to crush it.”