Age is no barrier to success for weightlifter Maurice (82)

A Larne man who has been weightlifting for over six decades picked up his latest accolade in Dublin last month.
Alan Glover, Maurice Glover and Naomi Ross.Alan Glover, Maurice Glover and Naomi Ross.
Alan Glover, Maurice Glover and Naomi Ross.

Maurice Glover, 82, is one of the country’s oldest competitors in the sport.

He and son Alan, together with fellow Larne weightlifter Naomi Ross, travelled to Dublin on February 29 for the National Masters championships.

The event saw participants compete over two different movements, ‘snatch’ and ‘clean and jerk’, similar to the Olympics.

Maurice, who first competed in weightlifting back in 1957, took home a medal after he lifted snatch 37kg and clean and jerked 47kg as the sole competitor in the men’s over 80 age group.

The local pensioner has previously been successful in the 2017 British Championships - despite the theft of prized equipment from his garage only months before the contest. “It gave me the incentive to keep training and I went on to break two British records,” said Maurice.

Meanwhile, the revelation that he is still lifting weights in his 80s comes as a surprise to some. “People have this idea that weightlifters will be big and muscly,” he added. “But it keeps me fit.”

Last weekend’s contest was also a success for Alan and Naomi in their respective categories.

“Alan lifted snatch 60 kg and clean and jerked 80kg. With a combined total of 140kg, this was one kilo over the required 139 kg qualifying total for the European Masters in the Netherlands later this year,” said Naomi, who took up the sport a year ago.

“I was in the W45-50 category and weight group 71 kg. I lifted snatch 34 kg and clean and jerked 42kg.”

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