Michelle Scofield took up a new sport in her mid-60s and no, it wasn’t pickleball.
It’s powerlifting, one of the most intense forms of weightlifting. In competitions, participants have three attempts to lift their maximum amount in three different lifts: bench press, squat and deadlift.
Scofield seems to have a knack for it. In her first competition, the National Senior Games held in Des Moines in August, she bench pressed 125 pounds, squatted 185 and deadlifted 250. Her total of 560 was good enough for first place in her age and weight class.
A retired physician’s assistant who grew up in Wichita, and graduated from Wichita State University, Scofield worked in Kansas before being recuited to the huge Texas Medical Center in Houston.
She spent 20 years there, taking up distance running in a big way in her late 40s. She completed two marathons, two half marathons and a bunch of 5Ks and 10Ks before nagging injuries limited her to walking.
Concerned she wasn’t getting enough exercise, Scofield’s son called her and suggested she try CrossFit, a type of workout that combines high-intensity resistance and cardiovasicular training. Her son is such a Crossfit enthusiast that he has a CrossFit gym in his garage (where Scofield’s 7-year-old granddaughter sometimes joins in the fun).
Michell Scofield performs a deadlift.
“I went to a CrossFit (workout) and got hooked from there,” Scofield said.
After returning to Kansas, she said, “I realized I really liked lifting heavy things.”
Asked why, she said, “First off, I think I’m built for powerlifting. It comes naturally to me. Whereas running, I had to struggle a lot.”
Because of a pretty significant case of arthritis, Scofield has approached powerlifting carefully, working with a coach to make sure she doesn’t injure herself while trying to become stronger.
“My coach won’t let me hurt myself. He works with me very closely. I have to do them right or I have to drop the weight.”
Currently, she does a powerlifting workout three times a week and one or two CrossFit workouts. She also walks her dog twice a day.
While some women shy away from weight lifting, worrying it will make them bulky, Scofield recommends it to “practically everybody I know” because of its practical benefits.
“We understand that weight lifting can prevent bone fractures. If you don’t have a broken hip, you’re less likely to end up in a nursing facility.”
“I want to stress that you don’t have to do the highest-level moves. Anything csn be scaled” to an individual’s fitness level.
“They meet you where you’re at. I’m not expected to go up and do 50 pull-ups.”
Her best powerlifting move is the deadlift, in which she bends over from the waist and pulls a barbell up from the floor to wasit level, while her most challenging is the squat, perfomed with a barbell on her back.
“When you have old runner’s knees, you really have to concentrate doing a squat.”
She’ll soon have even more time for her newfound passion. Scofield has been working part-time at the Wichita Public Library’s Harry Street branch but figures it’s time to really retire.
There’s another powerlifting competition coming next month, she said..
“I’m planning on living to 100, and hopefully I’ll still be lifting weights.”
