'I thought Clooney was there': Crowd go wild as Stafford 81-year-old smashes weightlifting world record
An 81-year-old great-grandad has broken a weightlifting world record – as fans proclaimed it was 'the best thing they have seen in their lives'.
Muscle man Pat Harvey, from Stafford, deadlifted 135kg and bench-pressed 62.5kg at the British Unequipped Single Lift Championships – setting a new record for his age category.
The father of five, grandad of 13 and great-grandad of 12 proved age is no obstacle by breaking the record on his first attempt then lifting even heavier on the following two attempts.
WATCH: Find out more about his weightlifting feats
He had to beat 125kg to break the deadlift record at the event held at Weston-super-Mare which is organised by the World Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation.
He said: “To be honest it is just a surreal feeling, I still cannot believe it.
"People were going wild. Young lads were coming up and giving me fist punches and the crowd went bananas. I thought George Clooney had walked behind me.
"People said it was the best thing they had seen in their lives.
"I was holding back a little in case someone from Russia saw the record and tries to beat mine so I can come back and beat it again.”
The former boxing coach trains four days a week for three hours at LS Health Club on Astonfields Industrial Estate, which paid for his expenses to compete and Legend Nutrition sponsored him.
He added: "I had been retired for four years in 2013 and I had not done any competitive lifting whatsoever. My wife said I should go for it and I did but I did not think I would get anything.
"I want to encourage older people to not be afraid of exercise because a lot of the ones at my gym walk around in circles for fitness classes."
He is aiming to break the world record for squatting in his age category next.
