Kentucky state officials said last week all 120 counties in the Commonwealth were impacted by the flooding and over the weekend announced 21 are dead in the wake of widespread washed-out homes and roadways combined with severe cold weather.
Diehl – a former Franklin firefighter and Middletown Schools employee who in 2015 lost his right arm in a fire truck accident - has spent the last half-decade racking up more than a dozen adaptive strongman medal finishes in America and around the world.
Diehl told the Journal-News he was shocked by the widespread decimations in the flood-racked community Leslie County where he delivered emergency supplies donated by Middletown-area businesses and individuals.
“Most people never see stuff like this up close and personal,” said Diehl, a U.S. Navy veteran and former assistant football coach for Madison High School. “The water is receding but there is still a lot of work to be done.”
Supplies collected locally included 1,200 bottles of water, 15 gas cans, six cases of diapers and baby wipes and almost $600 in cash donations.
“So many people in the Middletown and Franklin areas came together to make this happen,” said Diehl. “I was able to arrange all this and gathered everything in less than 48 hours.
Other local emergency assistance efforts are under way including Matthew 25: Ministries in the Greater Cincinnati city of Blue Ash, which announced last week it is asking for donations for flood victims in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and surrounding states.
Diehl, who is now studying business management at Cincinnati State College, was heralded as an international strongman star until his retirement in October 2023. His record included gold and silver wins in Great Britain, Iceland, Canada and champion honors at numerous out-of-state national contests.
He credited his friend and local event DJ Cody Bachinski as “instrumental in helping me get everything together for this mission. And Travis Gustin of Gustin Automotive in Middletown made a huge donation.”
Bachinski said anyone who knows Diehl wasn’t surprised by his quick response to help.
“Mike is truly a one of a kind guy and his heart is always looking in the direction to help others in need. His philosophy is ‘if you are not helping others in life, what are you even doing?’”
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