Aug. 5 (UPI) — A Florida woman received word just prior to her 100th birthday that she is a Guinness World Record holder as the world’s oldest competitive powerlifter.
Tampa woman Edith Murway-Traina, who is preparing to turn 100 on Sunday, was 98 years and 94 days old at the time of her last competition in 2019, earning her the Guinness record for being the oldest female competitive powerlifter.
Murway-Traina might soon break her own record, as she is scheduled to compete in her first post-pandemic lifting competition in November.
Murway-Traina spent years as a dancing instructor before friend Carmen Gutworth invited the then-91-year-old dancer to join her at the gym, where her interest in lifting was sparked.
“While I was watching those ladies doing their thing, I thought I just as well should pick up a few bars, and I did,” the record-holder told Guinness. “Going on a regular basis, I found that I was enjoying it, and I was challenging myself to get a little bit better and a little bit better. Before long, I was part of the team.”
Murway-Traina lifts weights ranging from 40-150 pounds at her competitions, which have earned her so many trophies that she’s run out of room for them in her home.
“As a performer and a dancer, applause was always a very important part of my enjoyment. As long as I could get a little bit of applause, I was happier each time I got more and more applause. Once people found out I was in my nineties and I was doing all of these things, it got to be more noticeable. People got to pay attention more,” Murway-Traina said.