Powerlifter aged 70 is the 'strongest nan in the world'

A nan-of-four who started powerlifting in her sixties has proved that age is just a number as she's become a champion - aged 70.

Susan Sabuda spends around ten hours a week in the gym training in the sport, which involves squatting, bench pressing and deadlifting heavy weights. The mum-of-four took up the sport when she was 64 and has now competed in Canada, Spain, Sweden, Hungary and Lithuania.

She said people are often "amazed" that when they find out that she is a Team GB powerlifter because of her age. And Susan, a retired gardener, was crowned world champion in the masters four division of the IPF World Masters Powerlifting Championships.

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She said: "Knowing I'm world champion is quite hard to take in, it's quite overwhelming. People are always really amazed, which I really appreciate because it's so kind.

"Most people assume there's certain things that I should or shouldn't do but it's not exclusive to the younger generation." Susan previously took part in athletics and bodybuilding when she was younger, but "stopped for quite a number of years" because she found it quite addictive.

A new gym called ET Fitness then opened up near her home in Haltwhistle, Northumberland and she decided to start powerlifting. Susan said: "There was no getting away from weights, I used to like working out with weights.

"It makes you feel good and with bodybuilding, you can change how you look so I found it really fascinating. But then I became addicted so dropped out but I really missed the weights.

"When I went into ET Fitness, I felt like I was at home because of the weights and then I was introduced for powerlifting. I did my first competition and thought it was fabulous and it's just snowballed from there really."

Susan started competing for Team GB in 2020, which she says she "never thought" would happen. She said that she felt "blown sideways" when she got the invite to represent her country.

She added: "Everyone was so lovely and inclusive, they just pulled me into their family. You don't compete against each other, you are there to compete as a team for our country. I'm really proud to be able to do it."

Susan is now encouraging other older people to take up powerlifting and says that it's helped her get "stronger bones" and become "more mobile." She said: "I'm an older lifter so I'm learning that I can still do things.

"The result of powerlifting is that you end of getting stronger bones, more mobility and I've had four children so my body is getting pulled back into where it should be. I'm also surrounded by like-minded people.

"I then started competing for Team GB and was also surrounded by like-minded people and I started seeing different parts of the world. I have another family now, because this is so family-orientated."