Winnipeg senior sets provincial weight lifting record
81-year-old Ron Brunner may not look like a typical weight lifter, but the Winnipeg senior is one of the most powerful in Manitoba.
On Saturday, Brunner set a new provincial bench press record in his age and weight category as part of "The One Powerlifting Classic" event held at Glenlawn Collegiate.
He was competing against people 70 years and older and managed to lift 71.5 lb, or 32.4 kg.
Brunner said he only started lifting weights seriously around a year ago.
"I started with small weights, working all the way up," he said. "Deadlift I started with 40 lb (18 kg). And I'm up to 120 lb (54 kg) now!"
Brunner lives in a retirement home and works out about four days a week. He said when he began his weight lifting journey, residents laughed at him and told him not to pursue his dreams.
Supporters cheer on Ron Brunner during "The One Powerlifting Classic" event held at Glenlawn Collegiate on March 16, 2024
"You're going to kill yourself, you're going to injure yourself," Brunner recalled, but he said he didn't listen to the naysayers.
"I said,' No. Why don't you come and join me?'"
Brunner added that he never felt as if his age would stand in the way of his training. His coach Kyla Camire agreed.
Camire said while Brunner is her oldest client, he isn't the only senior she has guided.
"People think as they get older they need to stop moving, which is the complete opposite of what they need to do," she said. "To maintain their bone density, you want to stay as mobile as possible."
Other competitors said they were motivated when they saw Brunner competing.
"I'm an older lifter, but I'm not that old," said Ryan Menard. "It's so inspiring seeing people who are a generation older than me that are still at it!"
Brunner said he plans to keep at it for the foreseeable future.
"My goal is to be in good shape," he said. And if he continues to lift weights, Brunner joked, "Maybe I'll live another hundred years!"
Ron Brunner , 81, competes at "The One Powerlifting Classic" event held at Glenlawn Collegiate on March 16, 2024. (Jon Hendricks/CTV News Winnipeg)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Trudeau must more publicly support ICC decisions amid Israel-Hamas war: ex-ministers
A group of prominent former politicians and current academics is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to change his tone on the possibility of arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
Police clear intersection of pro-Palestinian protesters on UBC campus
Police cleared pro-Palestinian protesters from a main intersection at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver on Wednesday.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing plan defeated in House of Commons
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing bill has been defeated in the House of Commons with the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois voting against the legislation.
'Scandals and secrets': On board the world's most exclusive private residential ship
It’s a floating city exclusively home to the 1 per cent, a playground for multimillionaires and billionaires that circumnavigates the world's oceans.