New Mills pensioner qualifies for national weightlifting competition months after heart surgery

Brian Winslow is a British champion in weightlifting and despite being the oldest in the region and having had a replacement heart valve fitted earlier this year he has now qualified for a national competition which will take place next year.

The 85-year-old, of High Street, said: “I feel proud and have a sense of satisfaction with my achievements.

"I know I’m old but that doesn’t mean I have to stop doing what I love.”

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Brian started weightlifting in his 20s and over the years he has won many competitions.

He said: “When I started out I was in the Masters 1 category which was for young 20-olds.

"I’ve been doing it so long I’m now in Masters 10 for those aged 85 to 90!

"I’m the oldest person competing in the regional level and I reckon I could be the oldest person still weightlifting nationally.”

In recent years Brian was diagnosed with having a bicuspid aortic valve and in February he had heart surgery where his valve was replaced with a new one which was half titanium and half pig.

He said: “I’m a vegetarian so I didn’t like the idea of a pig dying for me.”

His road to recovery he says has thankfully been straight forward and he was back lifting weights in no time.

Earlier in the month Brian, who trains at Peak Power in Whaley Bridge, won the regional qualifying event which will mean he will once again compete at a national level in the spring.

He said: “I’ve lost weight and even though it’s only a few kilos it makes all the difference and I found I did struggle with the weights so dropped down a bit but still did enough to qualify."He added: “Never give up on something you love.

"It doesn’t matter what it is - if it makes you happy you keep doing it.

"I’m lucky enough that I am still healthy enough to still be weightlifting and I don’t take that for granted I and I want to carry on for as long as I am able to.”

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