Elderly Woman Winifred Pristell Secures Powerlifting Title at Age 85

Elderly Woman Winifred Pristell Secures Powerlifting Title at Age 85

Eighty-five-year-old Winifred Pristell defies stereotypes as a world-champion powerlifter, grandma of three, and great-grandmother of six. Pristell's journey began in her 40s when her daughter took her to a gym, where she found inspiration in watching someone lift weights.

RediscoveringHer Strength

Following a career as a barber, Pristell struggled with her weight and had difficulty walking more than four blocks. Fueled by determination, she started lifting dumbbells and eventually progressed to deadlifting about 65 pounds and benching the bar. At around age 60, she decided to participate in an unofficial weightlifting competition at the Seattle YMCA, where her son, Roosevelt, first witnessed her remarkable strength.

"I thought they were trying to kill her," said Roosevelt, who is also a weightlifter. "Then she lifted it and beat everyone younger than her at the competition."

With encouragement from her son, Pristell found a coach at a more serious gym, and her powerlifting career took off. In 2006, she made her debut at an Aberdeen, Washington, competition, where she won her first sanctioned event in benching. She later became a Washington state champion and capped the year with a world title at the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters (WABDL) Championships in Las Vegas.

Throughout her more than 20-year career, Pristell has won dozens of competitions, including 26 world titles from the WABDL and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). She holds 23 world records with the AAU for her weight and age group and has been inducted into both the Washington State Powerlifting Hall of Fame and the Strength and Power Hall of Fame. Her personal bests include a single lift bench press of 179.6 pounds at age 73 and a deadlift of 278.8 pounds at age 70. In her most recent competition in May 2024, she deadlifted 203.9 pounds and benched 121 pounds, winning once again.

ConqueringInjuries and Age

A decade into her journey, Pristell started experiencing pain in her lower back and hip. Faced with the prospect of halting her competition career, she sought advice from Dr. Brian Krabak, a sports medicine doctor at UW Medicine. Krabak helped her manage a spinal disc herniation and defer a hip replacement due to progressive arthritis. After a fall and subsequent hip replacement surgery by Dr. Navin Fernando at the Hip & Knee Center at Meridian Pavilion in February 2020, Krabak and Roosevelt collaborated on a rehabilitation plan to help Pristell return to powerlifting without further injury.

"Winnie is very regimented in her training program," said Krabak. "My role was to listen to her goals and provide suggestions for modifications and interventions like physical therapy, rest, and injections. Winnie keeps me posted on the progress."

With age and injury as obstacles, Pristell has made adjustments such as limiting her major competitions to one per year and using a walker for balance when going longer distances. However, her spirit remains unbroken, and her love for powerlifting continues to inspire her.

The mystery surrounding Pristell's longevity resonates with experts like Krabak, who attribute her strength and vitality to a combination of factors: a purposeful outlook, social support, and a consistent exercise routine tailored to her needs. "With the right setting, motivation, and support, you can do almost everything," Krabak said. Pristell's mantra - "It is never given but earned" - is a testament to this philosophy.

Despite being the only person of her age competing in powerlifting in the U.S., Pristell remains humble and encourages others to find their own passions. "People want to be like me, but I hope they know that they should be like themselves," she said. "This is my passion, but it may not be theirs. Just do what you can do."

1. Driven by a passion ignited by watching someone lift weights at a gym, Winifred Pristell underwent a remarkable transformation, recovering from weight struggles and mobility issues through exercise and lifting dumbbells.
2. The combination of a consistent exercise routine, purposeful outlook, and social support has contributed to Dr. Brian Krabak's belief that Winifred Pristell's strength and vitality are remarkable, even in her advanced age.
3. Despite experiencing pain, injuries, and the challenges posed by aging, Winifred Pristell continues to break records in women's health, fitness-and-exercise, and sports, earning countless world titles in powerlifting competitions.
4. Winifred Pristell's mantra "It is never given but earned" shines a light on the importance of maintaining determination, consistency, and a positive mindset in health-and-wellness and aging, inspiring others to find their own sources of inspiration and pursue their passions.

Read also: