When Jim Collins came back from Tenerife last August, he didn’t like what he saw and decided to get himself back in shape again.
The Raphoe-based Garda Sergeant mused that he was ‘a couple of stone overweight’ and his partner, Lisa Ward, suggested he go training with an old friend, Nigel Drein.
In the 15 months since he stepped off the plane, the Culdaff native has managed to win Irish and European titles and a World silver medal in powerlifting.
His combined total for the three lifts – squat, bench and deadlift – has improved by 95kgs since he began.
“It’s a great achievement, I suppose,” he agrees, rather reluctantly and modestly.
“It’s all down to the good training and the good support.”
At first, he was unsure, but went along with Lisa’s idea. He knew Drein, from Motive8 in Letterkenny, as a Garda Reserve, but that was the extent of his knowledge.
“I didn’t really know what sort of training he did,” he says.
“But wasn’t long in until Nigel thought that I was lifting well and he felt I should go into a competition. I laughed at him…
“I was thinking: ‘No way am I going to be able for that’. I was thinking that all the bigger guys would be way better but as I have come to realise now, and as people mightn’t recognise, it’s a sport that you can compete in all your life depending on your age and weight.
“There is a bracket for everyone to compete.”
Jim, who competes under the Irish Drug Free Power Lifting Federation, takes part in the Master 2 – age 45-50 and under 110kgs – category.
Last October, under Drein’s persuasion, Jim went to what he calls ‘a small powerlifting competition’ and won the bench and deadlift sections.
“That was the start of it,” he laughs.
In January, he won the squat, bench and deadlifts at the National Championships in Wexford, setting a new national record, of 170kgs, in the deadlift.
He was back on top of the podium again in Dublin in May while he also won the Northern Ireland Powerlifting Championships.
In September, he headed for Allsmeer in the Netherlands to compete in the European Championships and scooped Gold, smashing the deadlift record in the process as he hoisted 210kgs.
That meant the Garda was heading for Lake Garda to compete at the World Championships.
In Italy earlier this month, the popular Raphoe-based Sergeant set two personal bests – 140.5kgs in the bench and 175kgs in the squat – while he managed 207.5kgs in the deadlift. He was only around a total 15kgs from winning the gold medal in Italy.
Jim says: “Nigel put me on a nutrition plan and a training plan and I was doing all manner of methods and exercises, but it was all worthwhile to get a European gold and a World silver medal.
“Judo was my sport when I was a young lad. I was into a bit of badminton, too, but judo was number one. I did a bit of weight lifting when I was younger to help improve my strength. I had to give up because of an injury.”
He has a few things in mind now for 2017, including the Full Powerlifts in April in Italy, the World Single Lifts in Antwerp in June and the Police and Fire World Games in Los Angeles next August.
Already, he has been thankful for sponsorship from Arena 7, The Lennon Chippy, Applegreen in Lifford and Raymond Holmes Marquee Hire, as well as family and friends.
Jim, who says he trains ‘three to four times a week, sometimes more’, has given talks to students at the Royal and Prior and Deele College in Raphoe, is, literally, going from strength-to-strength.
Since he began, his squat has gone from 140-175kgs, his bench from 120-140kgs and the deadlift from 170kgs to the Irish record of 210kgs, which he holds.
Not bad for a man who simply wanted to ‘get into a bit of shape’.
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