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Thanks guys for the great that a boys well taken, and I still do compete at 242 or 275 class and the grand masters and open class, that means everone in my age goup and open means ALL age groups at my weight, and yes I do well, my knees are still great, I do not even wrap them till I go over 500, BUT you always hear OH YOU ARE GOING TO MESS YOURSELF UP with these weights, well 55 and ok still, so guess no validity in that, also do the world strongman for over eight years, yea call me retarded, I just do it cause I can...........Recently have not made a name there for myself in winning but in 2002 I got #2 in the USA there, and yes right along all the stars you saw then and some now, was even on ESPN a few times, I am in the light heavyweights and all the NAME players you see on TV were heavyweights, BUT most of the time I competed right along with them at the bigger venues like myrtle beach, Virginia beach, these were big venues!
I will say I will go out big, no matter how many or how less years that gives me, I love the crowd, love the media, and LOVE to win, and YES it is getting harder as older, but even though my numbers are high as I said, I STILL have many competitors that can and at times do kick my ass, no alot but at times, NOT everyday can you feel like a champion and perform like one.............I know the man in the video above, in fact I travel all over the US competing and I can say everywhere I go I know someone, and yes I was impressed with his lifts, I saw Gene Rychek at times, he is the first bencher in the world to go over 1000, and scott mendelson, and the list could go on I know so many, and each gifted in his own way.
I even been to world meets that I have witnessed bencher presser in wheel chairs that had to be lifted out of the chair to compete, One legged squatters a GIRL, and even a totally blind guy that did all 3 power lifts, I know personally Rebecca Swanson, yes a GIRL that was 1st in the world to bench over 500! So when you see these feats, and look at the effort they put out to get there, ANYTHING that you feel that aches or hurts or you complain about becomes NOTHING, for you should have no pains if these handicapped persons can do it, I see that, I say hell, I have not a problem that I cannot get past, thats the motivation I get from seeing any handicapped persons even have the BALLS to LIFT, and do it without doubt..................