AMHERST – 528 pounds of Fury.
That’s the amount of weight Aulac’s Paul Fury can bench press, and he hopes that will be enough weight to put him in the top three when he travels to Las Vegas on Saturday to compete at the World Powerliting Congress World Championships.
“This is the biggest competition I’ve been to,” said Fury. “I’m excited, and confident as well.”
Fury will travel to Las Vegas with his wife Cindy, who is also a powerlifter.
“I like powerlifting because it’s something we can do together,” she said.
Fury has been weightlifting for 20 year’s but started powerlifting at the Amherst Powerlifting Club about a year ago.
When he started working out at the club he could bench press 450 pounds. He hopes to be able to bench 550 pounds by the spring of 2013.
“He has a lot of potential,” said Fury’s coach, Nathan Robertson. “We have to work more on technique, and hopefully he will reach his goal by spring.”
Fury said he got into powerlifting at the urging of Robertson.
“I’ve talked to Nathan about the sport for a few years now and he’s been after me to get into it,” said Fury. “He had his first (powerlifting) meet in Amherst in April, and that gave me a lot of motivation to do it.
“I give him a lot of credit with getting me into the sport, and he’s a great coach as well.”
Fury played football at Mount Allison University and at university in Ottawa in 1994, and 1997.
He says he’s been a strong bench presser for much of his life, but at the age of 36, Fury said powerlifting can be rough on the body.
“Its especially hard on the shoulders and elbows but I haven’t had any serious injuries,” he said. “A lot of massage helps keep the pain away.”
He said he loves powerlifting.
“I’ll do it as long as the body allows it,” he said. “I enjoy being competitive again, and I’ve met a lot of new friends.”
dmathieson@amherstdaily.com
.jpg){kind=small}
