This 80-Year-Old Woman Beat Cancer 3 Times And Is Now The Strongest Senior In The World

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Recently, I already wrote an article about the strongest 80+ year old man in the world and that got me wondering: who’s the strongest 80+ year old woman?

Luckily, I didn’t have to look far! Let me introduce you to Heather, a very inspirational 80-year-old Australian woman who beat cancer three times, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and started lifting at the age of 80 (yes, you read that right!).

Who Is This Woman?

Heather has an extraordinary background story. She beat cancer three times throughout her life and, after that, took up powerlifting as a hobby. When did she start lifting heavy weights for fun? At the age of 80.

When she first walked into a gym, her personal trainer recalls that she couldn’t even walk up a small flight of stairs unassisted. Miraculously, it turns out Heather has a knack for powerlifting, and, just a short 8 months later, she set the world record in her age category for the deadlift when she picked up 80 kg (176 pounds).

Why Did She Start Lifting?

She started lifting after realizing her third(!) battle with cancer had left her powerless, she was tired and her posture was very bad. Also, she states she thinks it’s important to take responsibility for your own actions and own up to something you’re doing wrong. To put these words into action, she started powerlifting as a way to become healthy again.

Not only has this improved her physical health a lot, she also states her mental state is much better. She feels clear-headed and happy all the time!