Tofino weightlifter draws inspiration from dad to overcome injury and compete on world stage
Despite his big body, Cpl. Greg Young rarely has to employ it while keeping his small community safe.
“I think I’m a pretty soft spoken, gentle person,” Greg smiles. “I think that helps me along.”
Long before he strived to become an RCMP member, Greg dreamed of being a strongman like his dad Terry Young.
“He’d just be coming into the weight room and be playing around,” Terry recalls with a smile.
There’s a picture of Greg as a boy standing on a pile of weights watching his dad lift.
“I kind of grew up chasing his footsteps,” Greg says.
The steps were big and included a stop at the world masters championships, where Terry won gold.
“That was a pretty happy moment for our family,” Greg says, pointing out photos of his dad competing.
The pictures hang on the wall of Greg’s home gym, where they provide motivation for Greg to train up to four hours a day.
“It’s constantly challenging,” Greg says. “But it’s pretty rewarding.”
If the most rewarding thing was beginning to realize his dream of being a powerlifter like his dad, the most devastating thing was to have it crushed by a broken back.
“Definitely painful,” Greg says. “And frustrating.”
Although a series of surgeries (including a spinal fusion) fixed his injury, it left Greg unable to lift like before.
“You can choose to lie down and die,” Greg says. “Or just move in a different direction.”
So Greg made the tough decision to stop pursuing three-point power-lifting (squat, deadlift, and bench-press), and start focusing on just the bench-press.
Eventually Greg realized what he calls “the gift of injury.”
“I think I could have been a pretty good powerlifter,” he says. “But I think I became a pretty great bench-presser.”
“He was lifting these enormous weights I could never dream of,” Terry says.
When Greg realized that the weight he was lifting in his home gym (up to 580 pounds) was better than what we being benched at the world championships, he took a chance, and invited his dad to try competing again too.
“He originally inspired me,” Greg says. “I think this time around, I inspired him.”
“The coach is being coached,” Terry laughs.
The father and son have motivated each other over the past few world championships to both earn a place on the podium, winning bronze, silver, and gold medals.
“You get a lot of joy to watch him and be there with him,” Terry says proudly.
And Greg is finding that, even better than achieving the dream of following in your dad’s footsteps, is overcoming adversity, and walking right beside him.
“I don’t think many people have the opportunity to do something like this with their dad,” Greg smiles. “It’s a pretty remarkable feeling.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The World Health Organization said on Friday that the current overall public health risk posed by H5N1 bird flu virus is low, but for those with exposure to infected birds or animals the risk of infection is considered low-to-moderate.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.