Local lifters earn world records
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RONAN — Four years ago, Skip Schacher had never lifted a weight before. Now the 71-year-old is a world champion.
After Ronan residents Harold Smith and Schacher qualified at a Montana meet, they advanced to the Welker Engineering World Bench Press and Dead Lift Championships Nov. 1-6 in Reno, Nev. At the meet, more than 560 of the world’s strongest men and women came from around the globe to compete in bench press and dead lift events.
When Schacher began weightlifting, he was 67 years old and was looking to get in better shape and enjoy the camaraderie of lifting with friends. It all began when Harold Smith and the late Victor Starkel, who were both record holders at the time, asked him to start lifting at Starkel’s home a few times a week.
What began as a few workouts a week transformed into a pursuit for the top honor in weightlifting: a world record.
As a seasoned weightlifter, Starkel could attest that it was never too late to get started in the sport. It wasn’t until the age of 62 that he began weightlifting, setting 16 world records before his untimely death from complications of a broken hip at age 88 in June 2011.
When Starkel passed, both Schacher and Smith continued working toward their goals of setting new world records, and Schacher’s passion for the sport grew.
“I got into it because of the friendship, but it’s addicting to see what you can do,” he said. “It’s mostly dedication and hard work, but it’s also a fun thing.”
At the November meet, Smith set the new world record in the 198-pound class when he lifted 311 pounds on the bench press, securing his second current bench press record. In 2010, he had set a world record in the 242-pound class with a lift of 336. To enter the new weight division this year, Smith had to drop 20 pounds right before the meet.
Schacher set his first world record when he bench-pressed 193 pounds in the 148-pound class. He said his nerves were on edge before his first lift. To secure a lift, he had to pick a weight that he knew he could lift, but wanted to set the bar high enough to be competitive.
“I was really worried, because you have to get the first lift to get the second,” he explained. “Once you set a weight, you can’t go down. A lot of guys will choose a weight that’s too high and not even get a lift.”
Schacher set the weight at 193 and had a successful lift on his first of four attempts.
“I wanted to go over 200 (pounds), and I went for 208 and missed it,” Schacher said.
The two champions continue to lift together twice a week, and they’ve included friends Ted Decker and Rich Cavalar in their workouts.
“I’ve lost 20 pounds since I started last December,” Cavalar said. “At first I figured they were trying to kill me, but they’ve saved my life. I’ve always eaten right, but I feel 100 percent better. I would recommend everyone to work out, at least a little.”
At the World Championship in Reno, both Smith and Starkel were inducted into the World Bench Press and Dead Lift Hall of Fame for their impressive careers as weightlifters.
Last week, the group of friends began the dead lift to mix things up around the gym.
“We’re gonna keep lifting; we need the exercise anyway,” Smith said. “I really look forward to having goals to work towards.”
Smith and Schacher’s next meet will be March 31 at Ruby’s Inn in Missoula.
