SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — At 71 years old, Tilman Gallant is proving age is just a number.
The senior citizen can lift more than twice his body weight and outshine those less than half his age.
“I started lifting when I was 38, so I’ve been lifting for 33 years. I just love doing the sport. I try to do my best at every competition. I work out in the gym every second day, and I’m going to St. John’s in Newfoundland for the Commonwealth championships (in powerlifting) in September,” said Gallant.
Gallant was presented the award for the ‘best overall male bench press’ at the 2019 P.E.I. Powerlifting Association (PEIPLA) powerlifting and bench-press provincial championships at Credit Union Place in Summerside on Saturday afternoon. He also received the award for best master 4 bench press for ages 70-plus.
“If I were to give advice to younger powerlifters, I’d say, ‘Just start with your own numbers and after a while you get hooked on the sport as you see yourself getting a little stronger each day. If you focus on your numbers and keep beating yourself, eventually you will beat everybody,’” he said. “It’s little steps.”
John MacDonald, coach and president of the P.E.I. Powerlifting Association, added, “There were people competing from all over the Maritimes, from P.E.I., New Brunswick, to Nova Scotia, and Tilman was the best bencher out of this competition.”
MacDonald said he’s known Gallant for over 20 years, they often train at his home gym.
“We work together and Tilman will tell you a thousand stories inside five minutes, he just loves this sport to death. It’s in his bones.”
National record
Allen Profit, from Summerside, set a national record during the powerlifting event.
“Allen got a personal record in the squat, bench, and deadlift, and he set the national record in the deadlift for his age category (60 to 70 years) at 231 pounds (105kg weight class). He definitely put the hard work in and it’s showing,” said MacDonald.
Profit and Gallant will compete at the Commonwealth championships in St. John’s.
“Powerlifting is like a family. You follow the records, you know everyone here, you train with them,” said Gallant, who had his family watching in the audience during the event.
“My dad (Tilman) also got the medal for ‘Best Master Four Bench Press,’ so we are so proud of him,” said Nikkie Gallant.
Gallant said it’s not just about training and competing, it’s about encouraging others to see the value in exercise at any age.
“I hold the Canadian record for the equipped bench press. The best I’ve done is 402 pounds and I came second in the world for that, aged 64 – I was just a kid! But powerlifting is a whole lifestyle, from the food you eat, moving, to being healthy, and I think I’m at 42 Canadian records now,” said Gallant, who plans to keep lifting as long as he can.