Teen powerlifter sets records at comp

WHILE most first time power lifting competitors are pleased if they get through their round, Gyan Beecum (15) wowed his Durban North audience when he broke two records at his very first competition. What’s more, the teen is completely self taught.

“I don’t have a coach. I train by myself. I learnt to lift through a mixture of YouTube videos and trial and error,” he said.

He broke the record for the dead lift category, lifting a whopping 160kgs. He then lifted 110kgs in the bench press category.
“It felt amazing,” he said.

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He said there were three others in his weight category.

My cousins also power lift, and I got some advice from them, he added.

Beecum started power lifting at the age of 12 when he was a Grade 7 learner.

“All of us want to be strong at some point in our lives. I wanted to be the best. Wherever I go I want to be the strongest. With power lifting, you can go anywhere and know you are one of the strongest people there,” he said.

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Overcoming criticism has been the greatest obstacle for the youngster.
“The hardest thing was the way others treated me at the gym. Because I was so young, there would always be someone telling me ‘don’t do this or that.’ I was warned it would stunt my growth. I was always very angry about to,” he said.

Beecum added that he hopes to combat stereotypes that suggest power lifting is not a real sport.

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