Local powerlifter going for world record in England

By Lethbridge Herald on November 9, 2022.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Mike Marcinkowski is hoping to set a world record at the World Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation championships in England this weekend. He is pictured here with his gold medal from 2019 in Germany.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Southern Alberta powerlifter Mike Marcinkowski is heading overseas to England this week to participate in the World Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation championships.

He is looking to break a world record.

“My goal is to try (and break) the world record in a deadlift,” said Marcinkowski. 

He will have to lift 400 pounds (181 kilograms) for a world record and he is used to 365 pounds (175 kilograms) in normal competitions.

If he is to break this record, Marcinkowski feels that he has to get himself into top notch form. He hopes his back holds up and to not aggravate a previous injury during the competition.

He hurt his back when he returned to the gym in February. 

“I’m going to try and get myself to that Worlds,” he said. “So I have to start doing something to build by muscles. When it happened, I started adding some exercises just for building less pressure on my spine.” 

The 72-year-old has been competing in powerlifting since 1998, when he won a world title in the first World Drug-Free championship.

“Since then, from 1998, (I’ve) competed in the World Drug-Free Powerlifting wherever they have it every year,” said Marcinkowski.

Every five years there’s a new category age.

“Right now, I’m in M7 (Masters 7), which is 70-74,” he said.

Between 1998 and now, he has missed a few championships due to injury.

Marcinkoski will be competing for his native Poland at the championship.

He competed with Canada up until 2015 and made the change due to sponsorship.

He will compete on Saturday in Brandon, England.

“Well I’m doing it anyway,” he said. “Because if I miss one day, I feel like cabin fever or something like that. My body needs to work out.”