INSIGHTS

The reason I workout is...
Powerlifting and bench press competitions.

How I started in my sport is...
I just started to push myself to lift heavier. Then a bodybuilder in the gym mentioned powerlifting, and I did an internet search and the rest is history.

Why training is so important for what I do is...
Training is a way of life and a discipline that once you’re bit with the “iron bug” (powerlifting), you forget about all other ways of training at the gym. Strength training is a unique focus and cannot be compared to the bodybuilding style of lifting weights.

The people I most wanted to be when I started were...
Ed Coan and George Halbert.

The people I owe the most to are...
My training partners Jason Platts, Chris Yantha, Art Chan and Tony Tomra.

The supplements I can’t live without are...
I couldn’t survive without FUBAR, PURPLE•K, protein, AGENT•M BCAAs, GLUTAMEND, fish oil and ammonia caps.

The best thing about training is...
Powerlifting training is about an objective way of being better. You can measure your personal success with how much you can lift and the increase in your one hundred percent max effort and competition lifts. The weights never lie. Powerlifters count plates, not calories.

Two things I could change about my sport are...
I would change the fact that powerlifting is still a cult sport and not as well known in the public’s eyes. There are actually more registered powerlifters worldwide than bodybuilding, fitness and figure competitors. But the sport hasn’t become mainstream yet. The other thing I would change is to decrease the number of federations and organizations. Having too many federations dilutes the quality of lifter and misleads new athletes.

My ultimate goal is...
To be in the top-ranked in the world by 2014.

Some things every gym rat should know are...
Bench press is the king of lifts. The gym is for training and not a social event.

Years I’ve been training...
I’ve been training for 20 years recreational and seriously for the last 10 years.

What I enjoy most about what I do is...
The powerlifting family. It doesn‘t matter where you go in the world: you can always find a powerlifter who is willing to train with you as well as help you out at a competition. The sport of powerlifting is about doing the best you can, and even your competition wants you to do well.

Four things people should know about me are...
I‘m the dean of a college. I train with intention. I’m very focused, I’m positive and I surround myself with positive people. I like to have fun.

My future holds...
New provincial, national and world records. To promote and compete at a national and worlds level.