A RANDOM BULGARIAN WALKED INTO DIABLO… On Saturday afternoon, one of our coaches alerted me to a grey-haired, elderly man dressed in jeans, a coat and work boots watching members training while standing just outside the open gym area. I greeted him, asked his name and if he needed help with anything. With a strong slavic accent, he replied: “I am Ben. And, I just want to watch him squat.” He pointed to one of our athletes, Eric, on the Olympic lifting platforms. As I nodded in understanding, he asked me, “how much is he lifting?” I did a quick calculation and said, “about 200lbs.” Ben replied, “how much is that in kilos?” This made me laugh – I converted the weight to kilos. And when Eric front squatted the barbell with ease, Ben said to me: “that is a very good front squat.” I then realized that Ben is a weightlifter and began to ask him a LOT of questions.
It turns out that Ben’s full name is Svetlozar Benchev. He is 79 years old and lives down the block in the Senior Community Center. He is about 5’7, lean yet stout, and steady on his feet. He said that he lifts weights daily in his apartment with a makeshift squat rack and plywood on the floor. He immigrated to the US from Bulgaria at age 50 and made his living as a carpenter. When he mentioned Bulgaria, I commented that the Bulgarians are legends in Olympic Weightlifting. His face lit up and he said, “we crushed the Russians for many years in competition.” He was clearly very proud.
Ben then asked if he could walk around inside the gym and watch the lifters and other athletes. I invited him in and introduced him to Eric, who was lifting on the platform. After a brief conversation, Ben pointed to the loaded barbell in the squat rack and asked Eric, “how much is this?” Eric replied: “95 kilos” (210lbs). Ben then asked, “can I try?” and quickly dipped under the bar to attempt a back squat! I freaked out, turned to Yvonne who was stretching close by and she said: “did he sign a waiver?” The 79 year old Bulgarian in jeans and work boots then proceeded to easily squat 205lbs – STONE COLD – with no warm up. We all felt like we were part of a prank. It was amazing.
After his feat of strength, I spent some time talking to Ben about his lifestyle and nutrition – wanting to know more about this amazing man and his fitness. Not surprising, I felt like I was talking to one of our members: he lifts weights regularly, walks often, eats very healthy, spends time with his family and stays very busy. He still takes odd jobs as a handyman – carpentry, plumbing, tile, etc. He also said that he no longer drinks and he quit smoking at age 46 (!!). And, he added while waving his finger at me, “I do not take any medicines”.
Ben gave me hope and motivation – hope for anyone who wants to improve their health and quality of life at any age and motivation to keep training hard. The key to longevity is clear: stay strong, move a lot, eat healthy, and be around a supportive family and community. This is what we do.
