Hello everyone.

I am Brian Flatman aged 88 and rather late in life seem to have become, somewhat surprisingly, a competitive power lifter! I have qualified and have been accepted as a member of the GBR Powerlifting Team competing in the WDFPF World Championships in Rome 15 -17 June.

Yes, that close! The reason is simply that I did not intend competing in Rome because I was not well and fit enough, and because the organisers had warned that Rome this summer would be even more expensive than usual. However, only hours short of the recent entry deadline I simply couldn’t resist the challenge of earning some points, possibly maximum, for GBR so I am now fully committed! I didn’t even have time to think how I would finance it and have had to borrow, very short term only, from close family.

All competitors have to self-fund so this is a very short stay and definitely not a holiday. Nor has my intensive last-minute preparation schedule been a “holiday.” Due to the legacy of past major physical trauma and illnesses I have constant severe pain and other problems, but have had a lot of practice and am used to things. Training and preparation require a huge sustained effort over many months, and additionally I’m well into the reality of age and life-stage issues! All athletes and sports people live with pain and discomfort anyway - it goes with the territory. Single-mindedness and determination, no matter what, can get us all a long way whatever our endeavour or struggle.

So though it goes against the grain (a generational attitude I think), I’ve been encouraged by many to seek donations to help to fund costs, which include international and local travel, food, travel insurance (ridiculously expensive simply because of age), equipment, competition fees, etc. I self-funded my trip to last year’s World Championships in Amsterdam and am still well out of pocket, but have absolutely no regrets since I came first and contributed 12 points to the Team GBR total!

This might raise the question in some people - why so patriotic? Well I was born before WW2, childhood in south London for whole of the War, bomb damage and post-war real austerity etc etc, food rationing into mid-teens, National Service and Casualty Evacuation Medic at Suez in 1956 (sincere apologies to my lovely Egyptian friends!). I also have grown up and lived under two great monarchs, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, who exemplified lifelong dedication to duty and service. I suppose after the war we were almost all Royalists then.

Me too, so at the age of 16 I went with a friend to the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, got there early and found a great spot at Hyde Park Corner. At midnight I became violently ill and had to stumble/crawl back home, some 8 hours (no public transport or even any traffic at all). I was unconscious for the next day and a half so even missed the coronation on our rudimentary TV of those days! Seriously ill for another two weeks too.

I vowed then that I would not miss the next one. It has certainly taken some time! Firstly, I attended the Queen’s funeral procession. Went the day before and “slept” out on The Embankment over a very rainy night, then very long slow queue to walk past the Lying-in-State in Westminster Hall late the next day which was profoundly moving. In a sense that made up for 1953.

Then came the Coronation of King Charles III. This time a trip to The Mall, to again sleep out the night before, with friends and a great celebratory crowd. It was a bit like when I ran the first London Marathon (in my mid-forties, on only seven weeks training and never having run more than 7 miles previously), joyful, uplifting and masses of mutual support from everyone there.

Obviously I do like challenges, so after a near-fatal acute pneumonia and shingles nearly three years ago, I took up dead-lifting; started with a BDFPA Divisional Competition, did well, then competed in the WDFPF 2023 European, UK 2024 National, and WDFPF 2024 World Championships.

In my age and weight category (over 85 years/up to 75kg) I am currently the World record holder at 125kg, the 2023 European Champion and 2024 National and World Champions. The WDFPF 2025 European Championships are in Antwerp this September. Would love to go of course! The camaraderie and friendliness at all these events has been inspiring to experience.

My ambitions for the future are to compete in this year’s European’s, and next year’s Nationals, European and World’s. A slightly longer-term goal is to be still competing after age 90 in November next year. We shall see! Whatever else, I shall continue gym training and being active as long as I am able to.

As to some of my background and what has led up to this, we were very active as children and I’ve been so ever since; many sports including rugby, cricket, squash, skiing, climbing, scrambling, sailing, cycling, marathon running, and more, even a short spell in a 4 x 100m Relay Team (yuk!). Also, wherever I’ve lived I was always engaged in such as heavy home DIY and landscaping etc. Quite simply I just enjoy doing things, and sometimes especially when they’re hard.

So please accept my heartfelt thanks for any contributions. If you don’t wish to or are unable to donate, that’s fine too. But whether or not, if you can just send me a little burst of positive supportive energy for the Competition it will reach me, and make a world of difference. Think of the sum total of energy - scary!

Due to time pressures, I’m not able to include as many images as I would like just now but may add some later. Finally, the BDFPF the Belgium organisation, (the UK’s is BDFPA), will have a live feed on YouTube for the whole three days of competition i.e. 13th, 14th and 15th. My competition, dead-lift day women and men, is on Sunday 15th.

Thank you so much to all of you who’ve got this far.

Take care and may you keep safe.

Brian