A nine-year-old kid has just achieved more than what most of us probably will in a lifetime by lifting more than twice his own weight.
Despite his young age, Tate Fegley is already a powerlifting champion breaking US records with a stature of just 4ft 7 and a weight of 103lbs.
The pre-teen broke native American records for not only deadlifting, but bench-pressing and total weight lifted in a day, in his age and weight class at a state competition in Minden, Louisiana, earlier this month.
Check it out here:
Speaking to CNN following his impressive win, Tate said:
I just love the sport. I love the competition, too.
The nine-year-old broke the deadlift record, before immediately going on to break his own record with his second and third lifts at the competition. But, the sportsman showed no signs of slowing down there, telling his coach: ‘I wish we had one more go, I want to go up!’
His coach, Peyton Gray, said Tate’s motivation comes from within, rather than from the adults around him pushing him on:
He just wants to keep going. I never push him past where he won’t keep going.
In fact, not only is he lifting heavier than kids his own age, but he’s also lifting heavier than grown men.
Gray told KATC:
He works ridiculously hard and it’s very motivating to see.
I think that 99% of his progress is how hard this young man works.
Despite his success, Tate only began training a year and a half ago, heading to the gym at 7am every morning on his summer break and working for up to three hours after school every day during term time.
Fortunately, the nine-year-old isn’t restricted by a strict diet consisting of protein shakes, so he can eat just like any other kid his age.
His mum, Maria, told CNN:
It’s extremely amazing, especially when you go to a meet where other kids are lifting and you can see how much more weight he’s lifting.
While some people might be concerned for Tate’s safety, a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that very few kids have found themselves injured as a result of juvenile weightlifting.
According to Gray, children ‘can lift safely if their coach teaches them to’.
Now, Tate is hoping to break more records by dead lifting 250 pounds, squatting 215 and bench pressing 155 in August, at the National Championship.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.