Most people would be pretty satisfied with taking up powerlifting in their seventies.
Terry Shanley decided to take things several steps further by breaking records — and the moment he shared with his 91-year-old mother has now been watched millions of times.
The 71-year-old only began seriously training for the sport in April, proving that getting into strength training certainly doesn’t have to be reserved for those who have spent decades in the gym.
Just months later, Shanley stepped onto the platform at the IPL Drug-Tested Oregon State Championship.
He didn’t simply turn up to complete his first competition, either.
Shanley reportedly broke four Oregon state records during the meet, including a 75kg squat, 60kg bench press, 120kg deadlift and 255kg total.
Those numbers would have made the occasion memorable enough.
But it was what happened immediately after one of his lifts that ended up capturing the attention of millions online.
Sitting in the crowd was Shanley’s 91-year-old mother, Frankie, who had come to watch her son compete.
After successfully completing his squat, Shanley looked towards his mother and gave her a wink.
The interaction was captured on camera and later shared on Instagram by Shanley’s daughter, where it quickly took off.
According to World Bodybuilding News, the video accumulated more than 5.7 million views as people reacted to both Shanley’s performance and his mother’s reaction from the audience.
It makes his introduction to powerlifting even more remarkable given how recently he took up the sport.
Shanley had previously undergone a hip replacement and was reportedly looking for a new physical challenge when his daughter introduced him to powerlifting.
What followed was an incredibly rapid journey from newcomer to competitive lifter.
Despite only beginning his training in April, he entered his first powerlifting competition at the age of 70 before returning to the platform and establishing multiple state records.
And Shanley isn’t finished yet.
His performances have now qualified him for the 2026 IPL World Championship, giving him the opportunity to take his lifting onto an even bigger stage.
There will undoubtedly be considerably heavier weights lifted across the powerlifting world this year.
Few, however, are likely to produce a moment quite as wholesome as a 71-year-old record breaker looking into the crowd and sharing a wink with his 91-year-old mum.
And with millions of people now having watched it, Shanley’s introduction to competitive powerlifting has already reached far beyond the platform.
Featured image credit: madishanley / Instagram
