Young claims the world deadlift record

By Ginna Young

Until 2016, Holcombe resident/senior citizen Judy Fethler-Young was never that physically active, other than normal everyday life.

“I quit smoking,” said Young. “And I ended up gaining a lot of weight.”

Enter a Trick-or-Treat special at the Magic Salons gym, where Young signed up for the discount. It was a good deal, except Young didn’t know how to use most of the equipment.

“That’s when I met Greg (Mitchell),” said Young, of a younger male at the gym, who became a friend. “We started working out together.”

The duo had others join their workouts and Young started lifting seriously in January of 2019. By that October, a charity event was calling the group’s name. However, after all the months of preparation, Young at first wouldn’t compete and said she would just watch.

“This is after training for eight months,” said Mitchell.

“I said, no, you’re gonna lift.”

It was good thing she did, as everyone in their group took first place. Then, Young just kept competing. Some months later, high school boys came up to her and were astounded by how much she could lift.

“These guys were jumping up and down,” said Young. “They wanted to go home and show their grandmas what this 70-year-old lady could do,” laughed Mitchell.

In the one lift, against all weights and ages, out of 60 women, the winner deadlifted 300 pounds, while Young was at 295 pounds, for second place.

“It was that impressive,” said Mitchell, adding that even his own wife can’t lift as much as Young.

Competing in the 68-74 age bracket of women between 198 and 200 pounds, Young continued to increase her lifts. But, her most impressive feats came at a sanctioned event in Reedsburg, Aug. 28, 2021, where she set the state, national and world record, through the World Association of Bench Pressers and Deadlifters. During that event, Young set the record for 121.2 pounds in bench press; 303 pounds in deadlift; and 424.2 pounds in total push/pull weight lifted.

“She’s the world record holder, until somebody at age 70 in that association lifts more than her, but right now, in the whole world, she holds the record in those three categories,” said Mitchell, mentioning that once she ages out of that bracket, she’ll move onto the next class. “Then she’ll be able to set some more records.”

Although she didn’t receive notice until March of this year, that she set the records, it didn’t matter to Young, because of the accomplishment – lifting the most as the oldest woman at the event.

“And then, six weeks later, they told me I was in heart failure,” she said.

Major reconstructive surgery was done in January, but it didn’t slow Young down and she started light lifting again in April. Once she was cleared by the doctor, she was able to lift 248 pounds as a beginning weight. Young knows it may take a little time and effort, but she plans to get back to the higher weight numbers as soon as she can.

Young knows women in their 90s who lift, maybe not as much as others, but they are still lifting, still getting active.

“There are no losses and there are no failures,” said Young “I don’t think you give yourself credit of the things that you’re capable of still doing at this age.”

Mitchell agrees and said they’re lucky to have such a nice, fully equipped facility to train in. It’s not just the training, but also putting away enough protein each day, along with hard work and dedication.

“Anybody can do it if you want to, but it’s hard work,” said Mitchell. “Most men can’t lift the amount of weight that she deadlifts.”

Young says never, ever in her wildest dreams, did she think she’d lift weights, let alone compete at anything.

“And now, it’d just break my heart if I had to stop,” said Young. “I can’t stop.”

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="493"] Holcombe resident Judy Fethler-Young had major heart surgery in January, but is back in the gym and looking forward to the next competition in August. Young hopes more people over 70 will get in on the weight lifting action, encouraging them to try and see what happens. Photo by Ginna Young[/caption]