Jerry Podjursky

Jerry Podjursky

Personal information
Birth name	Jeremiah Daniel Podjursky
Born	(1912-03-30)30 March 1912 Turakina, New Zealand
Died	8 October 1947(1947-10-08) (aged 35) Patea, New Zealand
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight	70 kg (154 lb)
Spouse	Elsie Muriel Williams ​ ​ (m. 1935)​
Sport
Country	New Zealand
Sport	Wrestling
Achievements and titles
National finals	Welterweight champion (1937)
Medal record Men's wrestling Representing New Zealand British Empire Games 1938 Sydney Welterweight

Jeremiah Daniel Podjursky (30 March 1912 – 8 October 1947) was a New Zealand wrestler who won a bronze medal representing his country at the 1938 British Empire Games.

Biography

Podjursky was born at Turakina on 30 March 1912, and took up wrestling when he was 18 years old. He was initially trained by his older brother, Manswell George Podjursky, who had won the national lightweight title in 1928. Jerry Podjursky was selected for the 1932 national championships in Auckland, but was unable to fight after weighing in half a pound overweight for his division. In 1936, he won the Wanganui championship and reached the final of the North Island championship, where he and his opponent were both injured in the fourth round. In 1938, after winning both the Wanganui and North Island titles, Podjursky won the welterweight division at the national championships in Wellington. With this achievement, the Podjursky brothers became the first siblings to win national wrestling titles in New Zealand.

At the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, Podjursky won the bronze medal in the welterweight category.

Podjursky married Elsie Muriel Williams at Christ Church, Whanganui, on 29 May 1935. He died at Patea on 8 October 1947, and was buried in Aramoho Cemetery, Whanganui.