78-year old Shirley Webb joined a gym two years ago, and today is raising eyebrows with her impressive ability to deadlift over 200 pounds.
Grandmother Deadlift
The grandmother joined Club Fitness in Illinois with her granddaughter in 2014 in hopes of getting in better shape. At that time, she needed assistance for simple tasks such as standing up. Now, with the help of her trainer John Wright, and a twice-a-week gym regimen, Webb regularly deadlifts 200+ pounds, including a 225 pound demonstration (not once, but three times) which went viral recently.
78-year-old woman deadlifts 225 x3A 78-year-old woman deadlifting 225 lbs? A 78-year-old woman deadlifting 225 lbs! @TheBuzzer’s Kristen Balboni with more:
Posted by FOX Sports on Sunday, March 27, 2016
“She’s gotten to the point where everybody greets her and is just absolutely impressed. She inspires everybody that goes to the gym and it’s fun to see that,” her trainer said.
Webb told TODAY, “My trainer realized that I was kind of strong, so he kept adding weights.”
The septuagenarian has set deadlift records in her age group in two states, and has her eyes on a personal best of 260 at a competition in June.
Shirley has been married to her husband Dick since 1957. She has two sons and two granddaughters.
Regarding Webb’s sudden fame, she said, “I have nieces and nephews who are going crazy about it. They are absolutely thrilled with me. I get nervous during the competition, but I enjoy it because my family and my nieces are just so happy that I’m doing this.”