"She upped the game": Grandmother holds more than 20 national and world records in powerlifting
A grandmother is winning gold in her golden years in powerlifting competitions. When Nora Langdon was 65 years old, she said she felt like she needed a change — which sparked her successful weightlifting career.
"I was in bad shape," she told CBS News. "I weighed too much and I couldn't go downstairs without getting tired."
Langdon went to Royal Oak Gym in Michigan trainer Art Little, the husband of one of her friends, to train her in powerlifting. Little said he was hesitant at first, but Langdon was hooked and determined to master all three events — squat, deadlift and bench press — in the sport.
She trained for two years before competing.
"She broke all the national world records the first competition," Little said.
"I was shocked," Langdon added. "It got me very, very excited."
Now, just shy of her 80th birthday, Langdon holds more than 20 national and world records for women 65 and older with personal bests of 413 pounds in the squat, 381 pounds in the deadlift and 203 pounds for the bench press.
"She upped the game not only for people her age, but for everybody," Little said. "Young people — they get involved because of her."
Langdon is hoping to lift 1,000 pounds across all three events during the APF Worlds in November.