A 74-year-old woman in Middletown, Maryland, has gotten serious about a powerlifting hobby and set a pair of state records at a competition this month.
“It was extra special,” said Nancy Slocumb of her recent achievement. “It was just awesome — I mean, I got two medals.”
Slocumb bench pressed 88 pounds and deadlifted 154 pounds in a United States Powerlifting Association event in Westminster, Maryland, on Nov. 13.
Never before had a woman in the 70-to-74 age bracket competed in those categories in Maryland. So Slocumb became the first, thus setting the state records for women in that age group and setting the bar high.
“It sounds really wonderful that I set records for 74-year-old women,” Slocumb said. “You have to remember that not many 7
4-year-old women lift, so it is very encouraging.”
Slocumb said people are “pretty amazed” when they learn about her hobby. “A lot of them will say ‘I wish my mother would do that’ or ‘I wish my grandmother would do that.'”
Slocumb said she and her husband work out at least three times each week.
“I see us continuing this as long as we possibly can,” she said.
Her next competition is coming up in May, when she will be 75, and she hopes to break a national record in the bench press category.
In order to do that, she will need to beat her old record and bench press more than 110 pounds.
“I’m going to shoot for 112 or more,” Slocumb said.
