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So I tackled a big challenge to shock myself out of the lifting doldrums and compete in a 3 lift local meet the BCPA-- B.C's -in April -I knew my last 3 lift meet had been a success with the AAU in the USA with a 685 KG total (1510 pounds) amassing lots of American and World Masters records in the AAU ..BUT the BCPA is a different animal their judging is so tight that in all my contests throughout the years only BC Judges have found any thing wrong with my lifts IE: I never BOMBED anywhere but BC or to BC Judges nationally..(Certainly NOT at the 1995 IPF Worlds in Copenhagen where I was 2nd out of 6 supers or in many WDFPF World meets where I still have World Records )....Now before you take that to mean that to be "Anti BCPA" ..listen to the reasoning that was told me many years ago.. ."We judge so tightly because we've been to numerous IPF World championships where "North American" Judging standards are thrown out the window and you must now lift by extremely rigid European standards..so we prepare ALL our lifters to lift by the international set of rules." Something our friends in the USAPL are facing as well right now...So when preparing for the meet I knew altho my best squat was 551 ..I'd better settle for a token in the 500 range..then move on and lift well in the Bench and Dead..It turned out that My opponent was Tim Vandergrift a fine person and one good lifter..I was sure he wanted to WHUP the old man because at the 2000 CPU Nationals ( in separate categories) he totalled 657 KGS and I had a 670 KG with CPU judges in Moose Jaw ---Needless to say I did EVERYTHING wrong at the BC's made only a 440 squat --which was going to be a comical opener and I 'd move to 227.5 (501) for a 2nd -BUT I had to struggle to get the light weight past the judges..In the bench I only took 2 attempts and got a fairly respectable 185 KGs (407) and took ONLY my opener in the deadlift 507 EASY (of course)--meanwhile Tim slaughtered me..going well into the 600's in Both his Squat and Dead--his bench was pretty good as well Tim doesn't wear a bench shirt..so I had the lowest total in 8 years and Tim had PR's --so young guy Tim lifts a' Ton'--Old guy Bob lifts a 'Bisquit' --It still wasn't over Nancy and 3 other stalwart souls dragged me into my Bench shirt for the separate Bench only meet --and I went out with a 407 opener BLEW IT AWAY--judges turned it down..upped the bar to 187.5 (413) BLEW IT AWAY judges turned it down...went out for my final attempt--foot slipped --had the spotters take it..NO TOTAL --Ross Daigle wins this one..and ya know what..and I'm being truthful now...I couldn't have been happier for both Tim and Ross because they lifted beautifully --this definately would have been a great contest for me to WATCH and not BE in...never know do ya??? to top this one off I'd gone from 276 lbs to nearly 300 and was a walking dead guy.. My next target was a WABDL contest in Portland I love lifting in Gus Rethwisch meets --so by July I had to get a respectable Bench and Dead because last year the same meet (World Cup ) was my best of the year --So I trained and thought I was fairly "on" for the meet --the first good news was my bodyweight was down by 17lbs and I was closer to a 275 than a 308 (the class category in WABDL) but this loss was mostly by carb depletion and I wasnt as strong as I had planned but I got a Nice 430 Bench Press and in doing so eclipsed 2 other bench opponents by nearly one hundred pounds...I took 445 for a short ride but didn't make it (stay tuned)but that was 1st place in the World Cup so I was happy enough! In the deadlift I was just feeling weak--wow--my training had been good..as I went into that lift the warmups were heavy and I'd already beaten one competitor going into my opener but there was a big tall stranger ex policeman J.D Hill who was warming up with ease --he was the guy I had to beat--or actually tie in this case--because he weighed 297 and I weighed 280 -so I could win by lighter Bwt. --ha ha--Mr. FAT guy winning by being lighter -ha ha that's rich --so I followed him thru his first 2 attempts still feeling very weakened--and managed to stay with him to 530 which is usually "Chump Change" for me...Then comes the 3rd attempt 551 a weight I've lifted easily and routinely for years--but I set up poorly (being Psyched out by my apparent glycogen depletion) had the bar WAY out in front and there was no way I could stiff leg DL that one so CRASH down goes the weight and the current World record holder (262.5 kgs-578 lbs) ME --is beaten by a newcomer.. a nice and generous one at that-He came over to congratulate me on my 2nd place-- A good guy and a strong man to watch out for ---Damn I was down about "Not being even as strong as Me" and about to quit forever.... What to do ??? KICK MY OWN BUTT because I only had a month to prepare for the Bull Stewart WABDL Alki Beach meet in Seattle ...So with my training partner Moondog Manson not available (no transportation--Bus strike) I called on Nancy Carpenter to put me into my bench shirt(S) and hand off for me at Fitness Quest to train that bench back up to World Record status..Gus had just nullified the record of another lifter caught in a drug scandal --so my old 440 was the mark to beat for the new record...So after having much commotion at the gym over this 148 lb woman handing off 450 to me --I trained my bench to 5 separate successful 445 training lifts---My dead was OK but not sensational--but I was ready for the Seattle meet..So Mark Freedman-Nancy and I all went to Seattle Sunday August 19th 2001 to bring back some hardware to Vancouver..
Mark and Nancy had to wait around for ever to deadlift in the hot sun--we had left Vancouver at 5:30 am --Mark was a sensation in Reno's WORLD's Last year and always lifts beyond what he had in the previous outting --this time -sleepy--sun baked and hungry he went out and lifted a PR that had the crowd cheering wildly--another first place trophy for Mark !!! Nancy had just competed in an Olympic meet in Auburn Wa. the "Bad Mother" and hadn't done deadlift training at all but she still out lifted 3 opponents for a first in her class and made many new friends in the superbly friendly womens category that day on the Wabdlarian beach...Nancie's lifts were picture perfect as were Mark's.. .I was very happy..I had just had a reunion with my son Zach who came to the beach to see me lift and so I HAD to succeed with my 425-445-and 450 (204.3 kgs) World Record Bench press ... and I did !! Nancy and Mark helped me SO much..and my son who I hadn't seen in 8 years added the momentum I needed to get those lifts up with the longest pauses at the bottom I'd ever experienced in any meet..USAPL Judges came around after to say that was some tough "start command" to get past.. and the lifts were flawless to their eyes..a wonderful compliment that made me feel great !!! In the deadlift I was feeling the long day but was determined to at least get that wimpy 550 back (the one I needed to tie and win in Portland) so I on my second attempth It went up easier than ever before D'OH--why wasn't THIS July??? I tried 580 and It went up about half way and I just said NAH it's uncomfortable..and put it down -but I swear it felt like it'll go next time....When is next time ??? November in Reno for the 2001 WABDL Worlds this will be a fantastic meet !! And this year the competition is going to be amazing in my class--I'm telling ya I cant turn 61 quick enough to get rid of all these strong 54 year olds (I'll be 59 then ) that are busting my records daily !! see ya in Reno !! Congratulations corner-- Congratulations to some people who I've met and call my friends !!! Congratulations to: Colin Bonneau who won the first ever IPF Bench Worlds and created a world record !! He is the first Canadian to bring a gold medal back to Canada in many many years...He also won the WDFPF Bench Worlds last year --this guy is improving so fast it's incredible !!! Congratulations to : Bert Merriman who has upped his bench amazingly this year pound for pound this is one Great lifter !!! Congratulations to: Priscilla Ribic for doing so well in her first IPF Worlds --she is strong beyond belief and will move rapidly up the winners ladder for the USA. She Is now helping the USAPL Womens team raise money with the Womens Team Calendar by publicizing it so well -- (She is also a great Inspiration to USAPL Lifting phenom Kevin Stewart !) Congratulations to : Liz Willett who won 3rd in the World IPF Championships a drug free contender who will some day soon stand tall in First for the USA atop the IPF podium Liz is so incredible strong that it boggles the mind...especially the fragile male (ego) mind ! Congratulations to : Nancy Carpenter who is incredibly close to breaking IWF Womens Master World Weightlifting Records ..any day now Nancy !! This page is way too long and I've left out a whole bunch of worthy lifters so I'm sorry....when next I see you ..please say "you left me out" and kick me in the Arse !!! Ouch there it is now! --Ouch --Ouch--Jackie not so hard-- Damn Ouch Kim ..Jeez Mark- -Ouch..Hindley ! --OWW ! |
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