This granny is gunning for glory – after winning a whopping TEN world powerlifting titles.
Despite being 62-years-old, former schoolteacher Sue Hollands has no difficulty deadlifting a 170kg weight – much to the envy of competitors forty years her junior.
The grandmother, from Morley, West Yorks., took up the sport nearly 20 years ago, but has no plans of hanging up her dumbbells as she maintains it’s the sport that keeps her young.
Sue said: “I’m not your average grandmother. “If there’s something out there that you want to do and you enjoy doing it and have the enthusiasm to do it, age shouldn’t be a barrier.”
Competitive powerlifting involves a mixture of squats, bench presses and deadlifts, and Sue’s hard work at the sport has led to her excelling in all three.
She attends two powerlifting sessions every week to stay fit and this year won her tenth IPF World Masters title in the Czech Republic.
The hobby has taken the mum-of-three all over the world to compete in places such as Argentina, South Africa, America and Canada, and she regularly competes against senior lifters as young as 23.
She said: “I think that, at the end of the day, its a challenge and something to aim for and so its something I can do. It doesn’t matter how old I am.
“If you’ve got the technique and ability you can do it, and I just want to keep getting better.”
Sue had never even tried powerlifting before she was invited to the gym with her daughter 17 years ago – when she was soon hooked.
Now classified as an over-60s lifter, Sue hopes to continue competing internationally against the world’s best.
As well as her 10 world titles, she also has various Commonwealth, European and British medals from a decade and a half of competition.
Former powerlifting world record holder Phil Stringer, who has been coaching Sue for the past five years, said: “I think she’s done amazing, she’s 63 this month and she doesn’t look it.
“She’s quite fit and she does the sport a good turn.
“She’s a good example not only from what she can lift but the effort she puts into it.”
by Rachel McDermott
