Cancer survivor becomes world's strongest great-grandmother
An Australian great-grandmother has become a world-record holder for an impressive feat in the gym.
Heather Maddern, 80, found a new love of weightlifting after she decided to hit the gym to regain strength after beating cancer three times.
Now, she is officially the world's strongest great-grandmother.
"I hold the Australian and world record for an 80-year-old lady. It's amazing," she told A Current Affair.
"I just absolutely love the life I am living and I put it all down to powerlifting."
Maddern, who suffers from Parkinsons, lifted the record-breaking 80kgs in Brisbane at a powerlifting competition, saying she is "absolutely chuffed" to break the world record for her age group.
Reflecting on the moment she broke the record, Maddern said, "I just put it [the bar] down and went through the crowd with a big smile on my face, I was absolutely chuffed."
Before the great-grandmother discovered her love for lifting weights, she was barely able to walk up and down stairs due to extensive chemotherapy and radiation to treat her cancer, and decided to make a change.
"I was very weak, my posture wasn't very good. I was extremely tired. I knew I had to do something to change it, otherwise it would keep getting worse and worse," she said.
Her coach, Jill Cox, said, "We had to help Heather walk down the stairs to get into the gym. She is inspirational. what she can do, anybody can do."
Heather's life has changed drastically since she regularly started going to the gym, and despite being 80 years old, she has never felt better.
"My son six months ago thought I was totally crazy, now they are all so very proud of me," she said.
"I just feel so fit. Mentally I feel clearer headed and happy all of the time."
Image credits: A Current Affair