Clay Patterson, a world champion powerlifter, holds a photo of himself competing at the Pan-American Powerlifting Championships in Venezuela in 1976. JILLIAN NACHTIGAL | WCMESSENGER
Clay Patterson has traveled the world en route to becoming a world champion powerlifter. To the 78-year-old often found pumping iron at Anytime Fitness in Decatur, age is a number, one that hasn’t stopped him trying to get stronger and working to maintain his world-class strength.
While spending a career in the health insurance business, Patterson picked up several hobbies. What started as an interest in getting fit set Patterson on the path to becoming a National, Pan-American, and World Cup Powerlifting Champion, and a nine-time World Powerlifting record holder.
“To be able to get to that level, you have to see yourself getting there. You have to really believe in yourself,” Patterson said. “It’s just the belief in oneself. It’s the determination.”
Patterson’s powerlifting career began in college. After injuring his knee in spring football training and needing surgery, he found a new passion in the gym.
“It was a very serious situation, and we’re in a different time now, where a person can have these surgeries and two weeks later they’re back in the game,” Patterson said. “I wasn’t able to play football, so I started going to the gym and got into powerlifting and started competing in powerlifting my senior year.”
In his first competition, Patterson won 6th place in Texas in his weight class.
“It was a start,” Patterson said. “I don’t know if my goal was ever to be a world champion, but you can go after that after several years of climbing the ladder.”
Patterson said that when he was 30, he decided it would be possible to win a world championship.
“I never had a trainer,” Patterson said. “In the last couple years of college, we had a bunch of guys that worked out together, and some had more success than others did. It was just determination. The person that wanted to work the hardest to gain the strength ended up on top.”
Patterson took back-to-back wins at the Pan-American Powerlifting Championships in 1975 in Puerto Rico and 1976 in Venezuela. His best performance, where he lifted 2132.9 total pounds, came at the Greater Texas Classic in 1979. He took first place as he squatted 788.1 pounds, benched 562.1 pounds, and lifted 782.6 pounds on deadlift. He was inducted into the IPF International Powerlifting Hall of Fame in 1980.
Patterson not only set records as an individual. On March 3, 1979, Patterson and his brother Doug set the two-man deadlift record as the duo raised 1,439 pounds together.
“It was a two-man event. It was two men lifting one bar side by side, so it was kind of a freak show kind of thing,” Patterson said. “I did it with a couple other guys in the process of getting up to where my brother and I set the world record.”
While chasing world titles, Patterson still had a career to maintain. He said staying consistent and determined allowed him to find success.
“I worked out in the evening three times a week, and if I missed a day I would be there on Saturday,” Patterson said. “To be successful means you have to be willing to work the hardest.”
Patterson still enjoys working out today, and frequents the Anytime Fitness in Decatur to get in a lift.
“I do still work out. I’m 78 years old and people see me walking with a walking stick because I’ve had eight joint replacements,” Patterson said. “You know, there’s a price to pay for it.”
The gym in Decatur has become a happy place for Patterson.
“My wife passed away last summer, and it’s kind of lonely working out alone,” Patterson said. “But I really enjoy being up here. When you’re walking by people they say ‘hi’ and ‘’bye’ and they’re just really friendly. I’m going to keep working out as long as I’m physically able to.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.