Edwards, Stoby lift marquee titles at Claude Charles Memorial competition

Usual suspects John ‘Big John’ Edwards, Winston ‘Little Master’ Stoby along with Tavis Rodney and Yannick Grimes lifted the marquee titles when the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) staged its annual Claude Charles Intermediate and Master’s Memorial Championship yesterday at the National Gymnasium.

Edwards (unequipped) and Stoby (equipped), emerged overall winners of the Men’s Master’s segment with wilks points of 491.381 and 590.872 respectively, while intermediates’ Rodney (female) and Grimes (male) lifted the overall trophies in that division.

Edwards, a larger than life lifter competing in the 120kg class was in record-breaking mode yesterday. The gladiator from the Space Gym left humanity with herculean efforts in all three lifts, setting new national marks with 275.5kg in the squat, 184kg in the bench press and 275.5kg in the dead lift.

John ‘Big John’ Edwards squatting yesterday. (Orlando Charles photo)

While Edwards grabbed the spotlight, Martin Webster was also quietly setting national records of his own. Webster squatted 195.5kg, deadlifted 135kg and totaled 555.5kg en route to lifting the Master’s One 83kg title.

His squat, dead lift and total surpassed the marks set by Errol Henry. Henry’s squat was 195kg, his deadlift was 120kg and his total was 555kg.

The event which attracted in excess of 20 lifters, was sponsored by Fitness Express, the Trophy Stall, Buddy’s Gym and Massage Therapist, Kathleen Paul.