Oliva was born in Cuba on July 4, 1941. At the age of twelve he worked with his father in the sugar cane fields of Guanabacoa. When Oliva was 16,
his father suggested that he enlist in Fulgencio Batista's army. In the absence of a birth certificate, the recruiting officer took the senior
Oliva's word that his son was old enough to enlist in the fight against communism.
After losing the war to Fidel Castro, Oliva stayed local and took to hanging out at the beach. There he met a fellow sun worshipper who
invited him to the local weightlifting club. After just six months of training Oliva was doing clean & jerks with over 300 pounds and totaling
1000 pounds in the three Olympic lifts at a bodyweight of 195 lbs, considered a middle-heavyweight. -Wiki-