Facial expressions vary with each competitor based on how much weight they are attempting to lift, no matter the event: squat, bench press or dead lift. The eight competitors involved in the eighth Ex HEAVY LOADER proved this during the Dec. 8 competition held in 1RCHA’s gym. PSP staff calculated the results as as well as three officiating the lifts. Competitors needed to white cards out of three to be successful. Photos Jules Xavier/Shilo Stag
Jules Xavier
Shilo Stag
Pound for pound, 1RCHA’s Capt Garrett Ramey easily retained the Ex HEAVY LOADER powerlifting belt he won in 2021.
A national level powerlifter, standing six-feet tall and tipping the scale at 290+ pounds, his WILKS score of 451 provided him with the margin of victory — that, and his lift total hitting 781 kilograms, or 1,720 pounds. His total weight lifted in 2021 was 1,615 pounds.
Runner-up Gnr Caleb Reynolds from B Bty recorded a 319 WILKS score, with his weight total recorded at 525 kilograms or 1,155 pounds.
Capt Ramey’s final moment in front of his 1RCHA peers, and seven fellow artillery competitors, was 675 pounds in the dead lift — his success sparked a loud cheer and approval in the confines of the Regiment’s gym. In 2021, his last dead lift was 605 pounds.
From Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Capt Ramey’s total weight lifted during the 2021 competition was 1,615 pounds. This time, he recorded 1,720 pounds.
In the last competition of the event, he deadlifted 605 pounds, the most weight anyone lifted from all five Gunner units across Canada.
After placing first among his 1RCHA peers for best WILKS score and most weight lifted, Capt Ramey was thrilled.
And this year’s event was maskless — Ex HEAVY LOADER ’21 was a virtual event, with other artillery units across Canada participating. It was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
1RCHA CO LCol Joe O’Donnell, who started the inaugural event when he was a major, looked on from the sidelines as a recent knee injury sidelined him from competing. He’s looking to be part of the ninth edition.
For those unfamiliar with powerlifting as a sport, the WILKS scoring system is a formula used to compare lifted weight in powerlifting between lifters of different bodyweight and gender, to compare the strength of men and women and lighter and heavier lifters.
according to an online definition.
The International Powerlifting Federation rule book was used to guide the competition. PSP staff were on hand to oversee the judging, following the standardization of the rules which were explained to competitors prior to starting.
Capt Ramey again won all three events. In 2021, his best totals were 585 pounds squat; 425 pounds bench press; and 605-pound deadlift. His first two dead lifts were 565 and 585 pounds. This year’s total included: 595 pounds squat; 450 pounds bench press, and 675 pounds dead lift. His first two lifts were 605 and 635 pounds.
For his efforts, Capt Ramey collected the winner’s cheque of $350.
Third-place went to Lt Nicholas McCabe from C Bty, who scored a 318 WILKS and 506 kilograms (1,115 pounds).
The other results were: fourth Cpl Shane Proulx A Bty 300 WILKS 425 kilograms (935 pounds); fifth Gnr Adriaan Legary C Bty 266 WILKS 420 kilograms (925 pounds); sixth Gnr Robert Mchugh A Bty 257 WILKS 388 kilograms (855 pounds); seventh MBdr Richard Zoghaib HQ & Svs Bty 237 WILKS 347 kilograms (765 pounds); and eighth Gnr Elias Manaras C Bty 216 WILKS 334 kilograms (735 pounds).
Of note, Capt Ramey and MBdr Zoghaib were the only competitors to record nine clean lifts, garnering two or three white cards from the lift officials.
Looking back at the previous Ex HEAVY LOADER competitions, LCol O’Donnell provided these results culled from his archives: 2021 – Capt Ramey, 2020 – not run due to COVID-19 pandemic, 2019 – MBdr Harte, 2018 – MBdr Harte, 2017 – MBdr Harte, 2016 – MBdr Harte, 2015 – MBdr Harte, 2014 – Bdr Simon Morin, 2012 MBdr Dustin Tymchuk. There was no competition in 2013, with then Maj O’Donnell deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan.
