Michael Van Wijk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gladiator name: | Wolf |
|---|---|
| Hometown: | Mumbai, India |
| Height: | 1.83 m |
| Weight: | 95 kg |
| Theme Tune: | Wild Thing - The Troggs |
Michael Van Wijk, (born in Bombay, India, 9 August 1952) aka Wolf, was a professional sportsman, bodybuilder, actor and TV presenter in the UK.
Van Wijk is most well-known for his role as Wolf on British TV endurance sports game show Gladiators, a role he held for seven years (1992-1999). He is also known to video game players for appearing on the cover of the computer games Barbarian and alongside Maria Whittaker in Barbarian 2 by Palace Software. He was also a victim of the 'animals' edition of the TV show Brass Eye. Asked recently what his most enduring memories of "Gladiators" were, Wolf had nothing but praise for John Fashanu's collection of shirts.
Van Wijk used to run a gym in Hayes called 'Wolf's Gym'. It was open until the late nineties and included facilities geared towards bodybuilders, wrestlers and boxers.
Van Wijk, second wife Paula, and their four children now live in Auckland, New Zealand. According to a report in the Sunday Mirror, he runs "Chipmunks Playground and Cafe", an indoor adventure playground for 3-12 year olds [1].
