With a chemistry set at his disposal and unrestricted access to a modern array of volatile chemicals, a clever Lewis Hollander, at age 10, developed homemade explosives in his home. He sent his formula to the Department of the Army during World War II and was assured that while his contribution was noble, it needed some work due to its unpredictable detonation. When the Korean War draft arrived Lewis commissioned as a Naval officer and was assigned to the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory in California where he studied and observed America’s early implementations of Atomic weapons. He was witness to at least 10 “shots” – early military parlance for atomic detonations. During his 4 years in the Navy he measured radiological activity after each test. In 1954, in the Bikini Islands, he participated in the Castle Bravo hydrogen bomb test. “The Navy was full circle,” he says. “From building explosives as a kid to seeing the Hydrogen bomb. It was really something to witness.” With a stout career of physics and science behind him, he took up endurance horse racing and later ultra-running, marathons, and Ironmans. His persistence led to him to world and Guiness World record status. His home is colorfully adorned in 1000’s of metals telling stories of races from the 50’s to today. Now 93, Lewis says a lifetime effort of rigorous training, daily anaerobic exercise and supplements keeps him going to what, he hopes, a ripe age of 120.
