Updated at: 11/05/2009 5:19 PM | KSAX.com
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Clarkfield Native Breaks Deadlifting World Record in Nevada...and oh Yeah, He's Twelve-Years-Old

CLARKFIELD, MN- When you head into the dark basement of the Winson home in Clarkfield it isn't quite the high tech sports facility you would expect from a world record holder. Just a few weights and a dead lift bar in the middle of a concrete room. But that's all twelve year old Kirby Winson needs as he took a trip over to Reno, Nevada to compete in the WABDL (World Association of Benchers and Dead Lifters) tournament, and he came home with a first place trophy and a world record.

"We started strength training for wrestling" Kirby's father Don said. "And we did that for about a year then a family friend introduced us to power lifting. We found out there was competitions around the nation and we sort of switched over. I saw the natural talent in him and I switched it over to the power lifting."

"We went to a tournament in Minnesota, then they said that we qualified so we could go to Reno. Then I set the world record there" said a very modest Kirby winson.

The way power lifting competitions work is by age and weight. Kirby fell into the 12-13 year old group and weighed in at 97 pounds. He then proceeded to heft up 236.7 pounds to get the world record. And this kid is no joke, as this reporter can personally tell you (we had a dead lift competition in his basement and we stopped at a tie to save my dignity and back).

Kirby has been using his basement as his own personal "Rocky" like training room for about a year and a half. He says his first love is still wrestling but will continue to compete in the dead lift power lifting as long as he still enjoys it and can still compete. He plans to compete in the dead lift again in 2010.

Written for the web by: Tony Seeman

aseeman@ksax.com