Ita Pantilat Weighs 123 lbs Bench Presses 242 lbs
While the title may be impressive on it’s own, it’s much more impressive when you find out that Ita Pantilat weighed only 123 pounds when she set the 242 pound bench press world record! Ita Pantilat started out as a gymnast in school then served 2 1/2 years in the Israeli army where she joined the track and field club. Then after getting married at 22 and having two kids she no longer had time for sports.
Now jump ahead to age 30 where she moves to the United States with her family and begins work as a nurse, and eventually loses her husband to a brain tumor. Now with her husband gone and her children grown and out of the house, she finds her love for physical activity, upon which she joins a gym.
Eventually shortly thereafter she gets into bodybuilding for fun, but chooses to stop because she doesn’t feel that it’s a sport. She didn’t like the training and so turns to powerlifting and gets serious from the age of 54 to 58, during which time she sets a world record for benching 242 pounds while she weighs only 123!
Now 62, Pantilat is now a certified personal trainer and believes, “Exercise is an absolute must for everyone, but not everyone has to exercise the same way.” Is that inspirational or what?
If you enjoyed this post and would like to know when I post a new one, be sure to subscribe to my blog!
Melissa
OptimumCondition.com
(619) 252-4993
Empowering people through fitness, education, and coaching