You’re Never Too Old III: Meet Harry Packer

Posted By elissa on Jan 1, 2010 | 1 comment

If this isn’t an inspiring story to begin the new year, I don’t know what is…

For those making New Year’s resolutions to get fit, we’d like to introduce you to Harry Packer.

Packer is a 75-year-old mortgage broker from Porter Ranch. He had two knee replacements a couple of years ago. Oh, and he’s a champion powerlifter.

…After going through a round of post-surgical physical therapy, Packer felt he needed to continue to strengthen his legs and knees and joined the North Valley YMCA in Northridge to do weight training exercises on his own. There he met fitness instructor Chris Belden, who thought Packer would excel at power lifting. The two started training together.

…Last November Packer won the bench press (185 pounds) and the dead lift (303 pounds) events in his age group at the World Powerlifting Federation’s world championship in Las Vegas. “I’ve won a lot of different things in my life,” he says, “but that was the most exciting and mind-blowing event I’ve ever participated in. There were maybe 1,000 people in the auditorium when I got up to the podium, but I didn’t hear anything. I’m getting emotional thinking about it.”

Harry Packer went from wearing leg braces to competing in powerlifting…in his 70’s.  That’s amazing.  But it just goes to show you: you’re never too old to start a workout program.