On Sunday, the Valhalla Powerlifting Club and the North Bay Special Olympics chapter hosted the 3rd Annual Chris Thacker Memorial competition.
The event, held at Canadore’s Commerce Court gymnasium, drew 21 lifters from Timmins, Sudbury, North Bay, and Mississauga.
The local contingent – known as the Blazers – included lifters : Benjamin Chain, Kevin Grigg, Ben Sheeler, Bruce Hagar, Amanda Demers, and Jackelyn Osborne. The coaches were Phil Dampier and Forrest Sutherland.
Osborne was named the top female lifter of the day according to the Wilks formula.
Jackelyn won the gold medal in the +84 kilo class with best lifts of 60 kilos in the squat, 47.5 kilos in the deadlift, and 110 kilos in the deadlift, for a total of 217.5 kilos.
Novice lifter Amanda Demerse topped the female 63-kilo category with a 152.5 kilo total.
Benjamin Chain totaled 265 for second in the male 66-kilo class, while teammate Kevin Grigg made 177.5 to finish second in the 74-kilo division. Ben Sheeler also took second in the + 120-kilo class with lifts of 125 kilos in the squat, 75 kilos in the bench press, and 142.5 kilos in the deadlift for a total of 342.5 kilos. Third place in that grouping went to newcomer Bruce Hagar with a 187.5-kilo aggregate.
The top male lifter for the third year in a row was Andre Goulet of Timmins. Goulet is the reigning Canadian and World Special Olympics Champion. On Sunday he competed in the 93-kilo class and managed to squat 180 kilos, bench press 125 kilos, and deadlift 215 kilos for a 520 kilo total.
The contest is staged in honor of Christopher Thacker, one of the most talented powerlifters ever to represent North Bay Special Olympics.
Chris, a friend of many of the competitors and coaches in attendance on Sunday, passed away in July of 2005.
