Meet the 78-Year-Old Grandmother Who Can Deadlift 245 Pounds
And she can lift even more weight, according to her trainer.
— -- Meet Shirley Webb.
She's a 78-year-old grandmother from East Alton, Illinois, who calls the gym she hits up several times a week her "second home."
Webb has become an Internet sensation after a jaw-dropping video of her deadlifting 225 pounds has spread like wildfire on social media.
And that's not even the heaviest she can deadlift, according to John Wright, her trainer at Club Fitness in Wood Lawn, Illinois.
"About four to five weeks ago, she was actually able to hit 245 pounds," Wright told ABC News. "Shirley can definitely outdo and lift more than, I'd say, over 90 percent of the people who come to this gym."
Webb first joined the gym about two years ago, Wright said. Webb had never powerlifted before and she originally joined just to accompany her 20-year-old granddaughter, he said.
"When I first started, if I was on the floor, I couldn't even get up without the help of a chair or someone to help me up," Webb said. "And the stairs? I could barely get up holding onto the railing."
But Webb said she has a "competitive spirit" and that she "loves a challenge." Within a few weeks she was able to "get up and down no problem." After a few months she began to powerlift -- first a little over 40 pounds, then 100 and then over 200.
Wright said Webb has "become a symbol of inspiration for the whole gym."
"She is the sweetest, nicest lady you'll ever meet, but the crazy part is, she's extremely competitive," he said. "When she sees someone younger than her, she'll joke, 'I'm going to lift more than that.' I've never seen that kind of determination from anybody."
He added that Webb "has no plans to stop or slow down." She's already competed in two regional competitions and she's gearing up for another competition this June.
"I've just always wanted to do the best I could in anything I've ever done," Webb said. "I hope my story encourages others to want to do the same. You don't have to go and lift 200 pounds, but anyone -- no matter what age -- can out there and work out. I promise you, you will feel great."
