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Meet the great-grandmother who is a weightlifting superstar after setting a new world record at the age of 80.
Heather Maddern knew she needed to improve her strength after beating cancer three times, and turned to powerlifting.
She says the first day she started training was “the best day of my life.”
'I have the Australian and the world record for an 80-year-old lady. It's amazing,” she told A Current Affair.
“I absolutely love the life I live and I owe it all to powerlifting.”
Heather Maddern is the strongest great-grandmother in the world
The 80-year-old holds the powerlifting record and couldn't be happier
Maddern recently set the new record in Brisbane, where she lifted 80kg. The great-grandmother, who suffers from Parkinson's, couldn't walk up and down the stairs when she first started.
'I was very weak, my posture wasn't very good. I was extremely tired. “I knew I had to do something to change it or it would keep getting worse,” she said.
Her coach, Jill Cox, said: “We had to help Heather walk down the stairs to get to the gym. She is inspiring. what she can do, anyone can do.'
Reflecting on the moment she broke the record, Maddern said: “I just put the bar down and walked through the crowd with a big smile on my face, I was absolutely delighted.
'Six months ago my son thought I was completely crazy, now they are all so very proud of me.
'I just feel so fit. Mentally I feel clearer and happier.'