‘Just you and the weights’

TWO South Coast weightlifters have been chosen for the South African team to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Canada in December this year.

Malone Horn and Gerhard Oosthuizen competed in the recent South African Bench Press Champs and won their categories.

Malone is no stranger to the weightlifting (and strongman) scene and the humble man has impressed many with his immense strength over the years.

In the Masters 1 category he benched 200kg to win.

Gerhard, now 50 years old, is a rookie to competitive lifting. He comes from a background in judo and competed in the World Masters just over a decade ago.

This was his first competition and he bench-pressed 190kg to win the Masters 2 category.

“I had it at 200kg but just couldn’t keep it there,” he said with a wry grin.

Both train at Super Bodies Health and Fitness Centre in Margate and competed under the Super Bodies name.

Kim van der Merwe (managing director at Super Bodies) said the two were an inspiration to many.

“It just goes to show that you are never too old to start exercising. Their dedication is impressive and they are an example that if you put your mind to something you can do it,” she said.

Malone, meanwhile, was full of praise for Gerhard.

“This is his success and he has worked really hard to achieve it. He has trained with me for the past two years and he is the competitive spirit between the two of us,” he said.

Malone left the sport 15 years ago when he started to do strongman.

“I had no intention of going back to it at all. I just support Gerhard and will assist him in reaching his goals and preparing for his competitions,” he said.

As it stands Gerhard’s current lifting places him with the top contenders in his age group worldwide.

“As for the weights we lift, they are heavy, but not nearly as heavy as those lifted in the geared power-lifting arena. These guys use specialised equipment to protect their muscles and joints, in reality it allows you almost a 30 percent increase on lifting weights,” he explained.

“We lift with no straps, special vests or guards. In other words it is called ‘raw bench-press’, which means it is you and the weights only. The rules are strict and require you to stop on your chest and only push the weight once the referee gives you an audible signal – push/lift. This makes it tough,” he added.

“I am sure you will see a lot of Gerhard in this sport in future,” concluded Malone.