IF you need to solve a weighty problem, just call on the father and son combination of Grant and Ben Sugarman.
Grant, 53 and Ben, 16, from Bushey, achieved a unique double when they both scooped gold medals at last week’s All-England powerlifting championships that brought more than 200 competitors to Moulton
College, Northampton.
Grant, who has an importing
business, won the 83kg event with lifts of 547kg – that’s over half a ton! – while Ben, a JFS pupil, the youngest competitor in the 74kg category, won with 425kg.
Since taking up the sport only four years ago after a friend took him to watch a tournament, Grant has already won a world championship in 2013 and the British and Masters championships last year and holds two British records.
He and Ben, also an accomplished rugby player, will be competing in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Games in Vancouver later this year.
Grant is currently lobbying to have the sport included in the 2017
Maccabi Games in Israel and is hopeful of success–and he would of course love to see it included in next year’s Olympics in Rio.
He said: “Powerlifting is a wonderful, healthy and drug-free sport. I am immensely proud of what Ben has already achieved at his age, but I would really love to get more Jewish
youngsters involved in taking it up.
“Anyone interested should email me at grantsugarman@yahoo.co.uk and I will tell them how to go about it.”
And the secret of a being a successful powerlifter? “Obviously, good Jewish food,” says Grant.