Most of us missed out on attempting something solely on the fact that we considered it was too late to do so. However, Shelly Stettner is the living proof of what happens when you decide to go against that inner voice. At 71-years-old, Shelly is one of the greatest female powerlifters in the world. She is always giving it her all, which resulted in some incredible success over the last few years. Most recently, Shelly shared a huge 235-pound (106.5-kilogram) squat triple on her Instagram account.
Shelly Stettner’s squat session overall is a new PR for her, as she managed to do three sets of the 235-pounds triples. Her sets were also raw by powerlifting standards, as she utilized a lifting belt and knee sleeves to aid her in the lift. Shelly’s bodyweight at the time of the lift was 132 pounds (60 kilograms).
You can watch Shelly’s last set here:
Related: 71-yo Powerlifter John LaFlamme Squats A Massive 193.5 kg (426.5 lbs) Raw
Shelly Stettner is preparing for the 2022 Powerlifting America (PA) Master’s Nationals, which will take place on June 18, in Orlando, FL. She has already taken part in seven sanctioned competitions, only failing to win one of them. It is evident that Shelly is very successful in the sport, so it would be hard to believe that she began professionally doing the sport in 2019, when she was 68-years-old.
Shelly Stettner is now working on motivating everyone to follow their dreams, as it is never too late to do anything. She picked up the barbell for the first time at 64-years-old in 2016, but did her first chin-up and dip two years later. These original feats of strength are now a piece of cake for Shelly, but she is aware of her outstanding progress.
“Like many, I believed getting older meant getting weaker and losing muscle. This is a myth… You’re never too old to get started in strength training.”
Related: Powerlifter Rudy Kadlub Hits a Massive Deadlift of 523 lbs Raw To Celebrate His 73rd Birthday
Shelly Stettner’s Raw Competition PRs
- Squat: 113.5 kilograms (250.2 pounds) (2022 USAPL Arnold Masters of Iron Pro)
- Bench Press: 65 kilograms (143.3 pounds) (2022 USAPL Arnold Masters of Iron Pro)
- Deadlift: 147.5 kilograms (325.1 pounds) (2021 USAPL Virginia Pro)
- Total: 322.5 kilograms (711 pounds) (2021 USAPL Virginia Pro)
Shelly Stettner’s Greatest Performances
- 2021 USAPL Raw Master’s Nationals — First-place
- 2021 USAPL Virginia Pro — First-place
- 2022 USAPL Arnold Masters of Iron Pro — First-place
Shelly Stettner is constantly proving that the only requirement for success is a genuine belief in oneself. It was because of this that Shelly would make some fond memories and reach her peak physical shape. She still has a few weeks left to prepare for the Nationals, but Shelly is already moving significant weight in the training room. Judging by this, she will undoubtedly put up a brilliant performance on the platform.
