Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate
He’s RED DEER DVOCATE back A WEEKEND EDITION
Our new pullout colour comics include Garfield
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013
Losing $3.1 billion is more than bad bookkeeping
McLaughlin/A6
NHL playoffs/B4
Getting strong POWERLIFTERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, AND ALL AGES, FIND THE DRIVE TO GET ULTRAFIT
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate
Birchmans Pereira spots lifter Alison MacNearney as Monica Johnston right spots the end of the bar and at left, Dallas Smith prepares for her lift, during a lifting session at Peak Fitness. ‘WE GIVE UP ON OURSELVES WHEN WE GET OLDER. YOU START THINKING, ‘I’M SORE NOW OR I DON’T NEED TO DO THIS ANYMORE.’ ACTUALLY, THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. YOU DON’T WANT TO LET YOURSELF GET WEAK. IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE TO YOUR HEALTH, JUST TO HAVE THAT EXTRA MUSCLE MASS.’ — POWERLIFTER ALISON MACNEARNEY, 51
They range in age from their mid-20s to their mid60s. They are business owners, massage therapists and church ministry assistants. But they all share a single passion: Getting strong. And amid the clanging cacophony of Red Deer’s Peak Fitness gym, that is exactly what they were doing on a recent afternoon, under the watchful eye of local powerlifting guru, 67-year-old Birchmans Pereira. Sarah Jo Buffalo calls it a “total fluke” that she got involved in the sport three years ago. A friend
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Five sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5,C6 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E1-E6 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . C3,C4 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4-B8
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RECYCLE 1 BE D FROSUITES M 2 BE D FROSUITES M
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BALCONY 6 0 12 x 8 (92 SQ. FT.)
LIVING ROOM 0 0 13 x13
MASTER BEDROOM 6 0 12 x 13
BEDROOM 6 6 10 x 11 CARPET
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CLOSET
DINING AREA 6 0 13 x 7
FLUSH EATING LEDGE HALF WALL
BATH 0 0 6 x8
CARPET
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W.I.C. 6 0 8 x6
KITCHEN 0 6 14 x 9
UTIL. 0 0 5 x8
ENTRY LINO
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ENSUITE 0 6 8 x7
CARPET
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STACK W/D
JUNIPER: 1190 SQ. FT.
who was helping her work out introduced her to his “team.” That’s when she met the inspirational Pereira and within a year she was in her first powerlifting competition. The experience provided eye-opening insight into her own capabilities, says the 28-year-old registered massage therapist. “I had absolutely no idea I’d be able to do what I’m doing now. When you consider your size, and then you’re lifting weights that just seems impossible. “Friends look at me and say, ‘No way,’ ” she adds with a chuckle. Last year, she set a deadlift record for her weight
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class at 282 pounds and has already set a personal goal of 300. The five-foot-four, 140-pounder’s personal best squat is 230 pounds. Buffalo says her new strength has helped her in other sports such as volleyball, where it has improved her jumping, and in fastball, where her batting has improved. Pereira’s team all practise raw powerlifting, which means no supportive equipment, such as special bench press shirts that can improve lifts by as much as 100 pounds, or wrist and knee wraps are used, and they are 100 per cent drug-free.
Please see STRONG on Page A2
LOCAL
BUSINESS
GRAFFITI ON THE RISE
U.S. SITES JOB GAINS
The peace officer for the City of Red Deer’s Inspections and Licensing Department said 140 incidents of tagging were discovered in the January to March period — which is a massive jump, considering the normal is less than 20 incidents during the same period. C2
The U.S. economy showed last month why it remains the envy of industrialized nations: In the face of tax increases and federal spending cuts, employers added a solid 165,000 jobs in April — and far more in February and March than anyone thought. C5
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