Background
Backus was born on July 11, 1926 in Boston.
Backus was born on July 11, 1926 in Boston.
He attended Tufts University, where he started weight throwing, participating in the 16-pound hammer throw outdoors, and the 35 and 56 pound events indoors.
He wore ballet slippers during competition and after using weight training to overcome the effects of meningitis. At 6 feet, 5 inches in height and 160 pounds, Backus was rejected by the United States Army Air Forces" cadet program as he was deemed too thin. As part of his efforts to recover from spinal meningitis, Backus took up weight training and bulked up into a 290-pound strongman, despite concerns that such training would make him "musclebound".
Because no footwear had yet been developed for the sport, Backus wore ballet shoes.
Backus set a world record and career best of 45 feet 2 inches in the 56-pound throw at the New York Athletic Club"s annual spring games, held on June 8, 1957 in Pelham Manor, New York, setting a record that broke a record he had previously set, adding another foot to the world mark. He also set a record in February 1959 for the 35-pound weight with a distance of 66 feet 2¾ inches, one of five world records set at the Amateur Athletic Union"s national indoor track and field championships at Madison Square Garden.
He competed in the event at the 1952 Summer Olympics, finishing in 13th place. In February 1978, a 51-year-old Backus came in second in an otherwise uneventful 35-pound weight throw at the Amateur Athletic Union national indoor championships held at Madison Square Garden.
Backus died at age 72 on June 30, 1999 at Boston"s Vencor Hospital, having suffered a stroke in December 1998 and been in poor health for several years before his death.