Heart Attacks to All Time WR in Powerlifting!

My story of suffering a heart attack at 35yrs old then going on to win New Zealand's Strongest Man, followed by several more heart attacks and undergoing a triple bypass, to my recovery, and then going on to setting an All Time All Federations World Record in Powerlifting.

Let's start with some family history. My father died at 56 of a heart attack. His brother died at 42. A lot of his side of the family have suffered similar fates. Hereditary high cholesterol could be a major component in the why part, but nonetheless, I suffered my first one at age 35yrs old and required 2 stents to open up 2 of the main arteries that feed the heart it's blood supply.

After recovering from that and taking it relatively easy for 3 or so months I decided that I would do something with my strength other than just do some pretty impressive lifts in the gym, so I set my goal on winning the premier strength contest in New Zealand, known as the New Zealand's Strongest Man. But I like a challenge so my goal was not only to win the overall title BUT to do so weighing 105kg or less! That would be the first U105kg (known as a lightweight) to ever win the overall NZ's Strongest Man Title in history.

Prior to NZ's Strongest Man comp I went on to win Counties Strongest Man and then Auckland's Strongest Man and finally NZ's Strongest Man in November 2010 weighing in at 105kg exactly!

Some personal events occurred in 2011 that made it impossible to compete that year and then in 2012 one of my stents had blocked up again requiring another stenting to occur. That was my 2nd heart attack, which was mild enough for me to know it had happened and book myself in to be tested with an angiogram being performed. As an athlete you get to know exactly how your body performs under many circumstances, so you know when it just doesn't feel right. Breathlessness on moderate exertion, energy depleted, heaviness in the chest.

In 2014 I decided to do another strongman event. The heart hadn't been feeling that great but I dieted down from 113kg to 104kg in around 5 weeks to compete as a lightweight. I deadlifted 325kg that day and did a partial deadlift of 430kg. But come the Conan's Wheel event, where you hold 300kg loaded on an apparatus that is fixed in a centre point and you walk around in a giant circle for most distance, my oxygen capacity was virtually nil after 1 revolution so had to stop.

Once again I booked myself in for an angiogram and the blockages were so extensive (see pic below) that a triple bypass was required. They wouldn't let me leave the hospital in fact!

The doctors said it was pretty amazing how my heart had grown all these new arteries that 'normal' people don't usually have. When my stents blocked my heart grew an artery off that blockage (clearly visible on the left artery of the angiogram). An the multitude of little arteries that branch down from the top of my heart all grew to try and feed the heart blood as my main arteries were blocking up. SO THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR TRAINING HARD I GUESS!

After recovering from that operation I decided not to return to strongman but to set my sights on some World Records in Powerlifting. I entered my first GPC contest at age 44 as a Masters1 and set a few NZ records. Then in 2017 I set what still is an All Time All Federations World Record deadlift with 352.5kg in a 3-Lift competition in the Raw with Wraps Division U110kg bodyweight aged 45-49yrs. That record STILL stands at the time of writing (4 March 2022).

Along the path from that lift to the current day I have torn major holes in muscles, both legs and my chest.

 But went on to do an 885kg raw total with wraps including a 350kg deadlift after tearing my hamstring on the 2nd squat of the comp.

 And doing a 237.5kg raw bench at 112.3kg bodyweight in 2018. I have since been stronger but then injury and Covid put an end to competitions for me until recently. I now have set my sights on setting the ATWR deadlift in a 3-Lift for the 50-54yr age category, which currently stands at 355kg. And so the journey continues...follow this blog as I update you on progress and be sure to follow our Instagram and Facebook accounts.