Meet the 94-year-old powerlifting grandma

If you’ve ever helped a friend move, you know that lifting their heavy boxes filled with books is no joke. Even in our prime, a lot of us struggle to lift a small-ish box of books (because that can’t just be me, right?). I’m already breaking a sweat just thinking about lifting something heavy. Are you with me? Now, triple that weight, and add 60 – 80 years to your age. That’s what Edith Traina, a 94-year-old grandma, lifts with ease.

Yes. That’s right. Traina is 94-years-old, and she has more upper body strength than most of us could ever dream of. She’s self-described “world champion” powerlifter.

This adorable nana isn’t some super athlete who has been training her entire life, either — she started powerlifting at the tender age of 91, when she was dragged to they gym by her friend. “Dragged” is almost a literal description; Traina says she initially begrudgingly went just to get her nagging pal off her back.

Eventually though, Edith’s placating turned into passion, and she developed a deep love for powerlifting, proving once and for all that it’s never too late to take up a new hobby or learn a new skill and you should definitely just go for it and learn Spanish already.

Traina is currently busy setting all kinds of records for deadlifting 135 pounds, but she doesn’t intend to stop there. She hopes to reach 200 pounds (!!!). As for what inspires her to keep going with her sport, she admits while she enjoys the health benefits, her real motivation is the emotional support. “I just walk up, lift it, put it down. I get all these applause, great for the ego.”

Though Edith makes it sound simple, there is an enormous amount of skill and technique required to lift without injury. This amount of weight is remarkable for someone in their thirties to lift, let alone someone six years shy of a century.

Watch Edith set her inspiring deadlift records here. Spoiler alert: She fists bumps her coach at the end, and it’s adorable!

(Image via YouTube.)