67-Year-Old Siberian Woman Takes Up Powerlifting
The Siberian woman competes in powerlifting events.
Stories about people passionate about sports are hard to surprise with, but we rarely hear about older athletes. 67-year-old Elena Antonova from Novosibirsk proves that age is not a verdict, but sometimes a starting point for training and competition. The woman took up powerlifting and has been lifting a barbell, often heavier than herself, for over ten years. We tell the story of how this Siberian woman came to the sport and how much time she spends on it.
Elena Antonova began her athletic career in 2014.
From Architect to Athlete
For years, the Siberian woman has trained under a coach«s supervision.
Elena Antonova was born in Novosibirsk and has spent her entire life in this city. She finished school and then enrolled in an evening institute. Her education and career are not connected to sports at all — she chose the profession of architect. She began mastering her professional profile while still studying at the university. That«s also when she had children.
The NGS interviewee worked in her profession for twenty years and left, as she puts it, during difficult times. In the 90s, everything was being sold off and people were getting laid off, and out of the five floors her company occupied, only one remained. Then the job itself disappeared.
As Elena Antonova admits, her acquaintances found new positions, but she couldn«t. Besides, she never got used to using a computer: while everyone was learning technology, she was on maternity leave. After architecture, the woman took on various jobs, and in 2014 she decided to dive into sports.
As a child, the woman did figure skating, but it was her son who drew her to training in her later years. He works as a medical professional and believes that the skeleton is supported by muscles. The man himself was fond of lifting barbells and dumbbells.
“I«ve been doing this sport for 12 years. I got into it by chance (into it. — Editor»s note), I felt my health had started to fail,” said Elena Antonova. “My back started hurting, I began to «fall apart» little by little. And my son told me: «Mom, this is yours, go for it.»”
“I Clenched My Money, Pulled Up My Pants, and Went”
The woman decided to start training with the approval of doctors: previously she had been treated with acupuncture and other manual therapies, but the procedures only provided temporary relief. She recalls her first visit to the gym like this: “I clenched my money, pulled up my pants, and went.”
At that time, according to Elena Antonova, she was lucky with a coach who designed a program for her. The Siberian woman didn«t expect anyone to work with her, but he helped after learning of her desire to strengthen her health and preserve her quality of life.
“It«s not that I want to stay the same, but the quality of life is being lost. I watch how the grandmothers walk, and I don»t really want any of that. Because being a burden (is undesirable. — — Editor«s note). So I gradually eased into it,” the woman recalls.
Before powerlifting, Elena Antonova tried dancing, aikido, and much more, but strength sports suited her best. During the process, she gradually increased the load, improved her technique, and soon realized she truly enjoyed the workouts. A particular goal for this Siberian woman is to start doing deadlifts.
“This is an exercise that strengthens the largest muscles in the body. There will be no osteoporosis,” the interviewee assures. “I was a social worker for some time and saw the grandmothers. Osteoporosis is a terrible disease. The muscles don«t hold, and as for the bones, it»s completely unknown what«s happening. I gathered this information and understood that I need to strengthen my muscles.”
The health problems Elena had previously complained about turned out to be correctable with the coach«s guidance during sessions. At first, her discipline suffered, but the mentor engaged her in sports, and subsequently — competitions.
“The guys who were training — masters of sport and candidates — for some reason I wanted to be among them, they energized me. Now I«m with a group of athletes; it»s pleasant to communicate with them — very high-quality people. They«re my kind of people,” she emphasized.
Reaching New Numbers
During her training, Elena Antonova also did stretching with a ballerina — she had enough energy for two sports at once. Now she supports her health without professional dancers, but with the support of her coach.
The Siberian woman began competing about three years into her training, albeit with small weights. She traveled to competitions in several Russian cities, including Moscow. Among Elena Antonova«s achievements is a squat with a weight of 60 kilograms (132 lb), but she wants to improve her results.
“I«ve recorded 70 (kilograms. — Editor»s note) for deadlift, and 37 for bench press. I«ve been gradually refining my technique, and refinements are still ongoing,” explained the Siberian woman.
The latest final protocol from the regional veteran powerlifting competitions states that the athlete weighs 58 kilograms (128 lb) — she competed in the three-lift event. Elena Antonova said she goes to training three times a week, a routine she has maintained for many years. Over this time, she has gradually lost about 10 kilograms (22 lb).
“And you can«t quit, because it»s bad for your health. Even during COVID, I asked the coach — he wrote out tasks, and I trained on my own. Because if you lose your form, it«s very difficult to get back,” she said. “You know, when age (comes. — Editor»s note), you gradually lose strength. And you really don«t want that.”
Despite the fact that the profession of architect is in the past for this Siberian woman, she is thinking about new hobbies. In sports, Elena Antonova is preparing to reach “new numbers.”
In June, NGS reported that a New Siberian freediver became a five-time world champion and set a record.
