Eight members from Basics Gym traveled to Reno, Nev. for the World Weight Lifting Championship held at the Peppermill Hotel and Casino, setting four world records and seven state records in the bench press. 

The athletes all trained by former “Mr. America” and world record-holder Mike Dayton and five-time world weight lifting champion Sherry Abblett.

A record turnout of 495 athletes bench-pressing and 364 athletes dead-lifting made it the largest weight lifting competition ever. Over 20 countries and 12 states were represented.

Gerda Shupe, competing in her second contest, won in the Master Women’s 68-74 age class, 165-pound weight class. She broke the world bench press record four times with a final lift of 143.2 pounds.

Sherry Abblett won in the Master Women’s 54-60 age class, weighing in at 95 pounds, setting a world record bench press with a lift of 101.2 pounds.

 Shirley Coen, the oldest women in the World Weight Lifting Competition, captured the Master Women’s 85-89 age, 165-pound weight class. She set a world record with a lift of 58.3 pounds.

Ann Fornachon finished second competing in Master Women’s 80-84 age, 148-pound weight class. She set a new California bench press record of 66 pounds.

Barbara Meraz won in the Master  Women’s 68-74 age class, weighing in at 171 pounds. She benched 71.5 pounds for a new state record.

Lynn Ford was first in the Master Women's 61-67 age class, 148-pound weight class by setting a California mark with a lift of 57.5 pounds.

In the Master Men’s 80-84 age, 148-pound class, Bob Fornachon benched 187.2 pounds to win.

Fornachon holds California records in three different weight classes —148, 165, and 181.

Bob Wilson won in the Master Men 75 -79 age, 259-pound weight class setting a world record with a bench of 143.2 pounds. Wilson is currently in training to set a dead lift world record in next year’s world competition in Reno, Nev.