Telegraph Staff Writer
It was a different type of experience, but the outcome was the same for the weightlifters who train at Raiford Wreckshop.
Youth lifters Courtney Comer, Brianna Jordan, Zeke Malphurs and Mahailya Reeves and adult lifter Carrie Canatsey all won their respective age/weight divisions at the Oct. 23 Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate’s Central Florida Throwdown at Perfect Storm Hardcore Training Gym in Holly Hill, breaking records in the process.
The lifters usually compete in USA Powerlifting events, but proved they can excel on any stage.
“God has blessed each and every one of them,” said Raiford Wreckshop’s Bryan Griffis, who trains the lifters.
Reeves was named the best-overall women’s lifter, regardless of age or weight. She had a 315 bench press, 465 deadlift and 485 squat — all world records for her age/weight division.
If Reeves had slipped up, Comer would’ve been named the best-overall women’s lifter. She had a 245 bench, 398 deadlift and 342 squat, setting world records each.
Griffis said all the other competitors, no matter where they were in the gym, stopped what they were doing to watch Comer and Reeves lift. He said that’s a good feeling, especially when the lifters can still do their best, despite the spotlight being solely on them.
Jordan set world records on all of her lifts. She had a 220 bench, a 335 deadlift and a 325 squat.
While Comer, Jordan and Reeves are in high school, Malphurs is a 14-year-old middle school student. Griffis said Malphurs was “scared to death” at his first-ever powerlifting meet, which occurred on Sept. 18.
Malphurs didn’t let his nerves bother him, as he won his age/weight division that day. Still, he was more relaxed at the Central Florida Throwdown, which saw him again win his age/weight division, with all of his lifts setting state records. He had a 198.5 bench, a 335 deadlift and a 295 squat.
“It was the best day the kid every had,” Griffis said.
Like Malphurs, Canatsey was competing in her second powerlifting meet. The 44-year-old won her age/weight division with a 185 bench, a 446 deadlift and a 340 squat. The deadlift and squat totals were world records, while the bench was 10 pounds away from a world record. Griffis said Canatsey would’ve broken the bench world record if she hadn’t pressed too early on her last attempt.
That was one of only three unsuccessful lifts the entire group of Raiford Wreckshop lifters had on the day.
It all added up to performances that had person after person approaching Griffis and telling him how amazed they were by what his lifters accomplished. That’s what happens at every meet.
The lifters deserve credit for the amount of hard work they put into training, but each one will instead say that they can do what they do because of God. That’s a blessing to Griffis, who believes in praying before and after every meet and workout session.
What also touches Griffis’ heart is the fact that most of the people he trains are youth. Yet they remain humble and take to heart Griffis’ motto, which is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
“I want kids who give the glory to God,” he said, adding, “It just makes you proud to be a coach.”
Griffis’ teen-girl lifters got a kick out of meeting renowned powerlifter Stacy Burr, who helped Comer, Jordan and Reeves warm up as well as keeping them loose and relaxed throughout the meet.
“The girls were all star-struck,” Griffis said.
