Granny powerlifter: At 71, she can deadlift 70kg and is taking part in her first competition

Lim Lean Ee performing a 60kg sumo deadlift while her trainer Daphne Loo looks on.

Published Oct 17, 2026, 08:05 AM

Updated Oct 17, 2026, 08:55 AM

Lim Lean Ee, a 71-year-old grandmother, can deadlift 70kg and is entering her first powerlifting competition, showing impressive strength for her age.

She began strength training in 2019 for health but progressed to compete, motivated by her personal trainer's encouragement and aiming to challenge herself.

Lim balances rigorous training with volunteer work, cooking large meals for hospice patients, highlighting improved strength and quality of life through exercise.

SINGAPORE – Lim Lean Ee hinges at the knees, grips the barbell and braces herself as she performs a sumo deadlift . Driving through her mid-foot, she grimaces as she lifts the 70kg weight off the ground until she is upright.

“Down,” says her personal trainer Daphne Loo, using a powerlifting command. Lim lowers the barbell to the ground with control.

It is her new personal best in deadlifting – about 110% of her 63kg weight on a 1.57m frame. What makes the achievement even more impressive is that she is 71 years old.

Lim quips in Mandarin: “It’s heavier today because of the photo shoot.”

She may joke in the gym, but she was serious about preparing for her first powerlifting competition on Oct 17.

The grandmother of four signed up for a women-only event called Lift Like A Girl, organised by the non-profit organisation Powerlifting SG and women-only fitness studio Activ.Co.

Lim is the only competitor in her age and weight group , says Loo. Lim’s 45-year-old daughter, who works in the tech industry, will also be competing in the event.

Powerlifting comprises three compulsory lifts: the barbell squat, bench press and deadlift. It is technically demanding and competitors have to follow strict rules and commands.

Joining a competition, though, was the last thing on Lim’s mind when she started strength training in 2019.

Back then, her daughter suggested that Lim and her husband, a retired paint industry executive in his late 70s, take advantage of free personal training sessions at her gym.

Throughout her life, the homemaker, who completed secondary school and quit further studies to work and support her family, has always been active. Despite kneecap pain in her late 50s, she signed up for group exercise classes.

But her first strength-training sessions got off to a rocky start.

“I was in pain all over – I couldn’t walk properly for three weeks,” says Malaysia-born Lim, a permanent resident here. Then she got used to post-workout soreness and finished a package of 10 personal training sessions.

After a pause during the Covid-19 pandemic, she found another trainer in 2024 who noticed her physical strength. About 1½ years ago, he referred her to Loo, the head coach and owner of Stoic Strength, a private gym in the Central Business District, for further coaching.

“The intention was never to put her in a competition,” says Loo, a veteran powerlifter. “It was: ‘Let’s get her stronger so that she can continue with all her other activities and doesn’t get injured.’”

But as Lim progressed, Loo realised her potential and suggested the competition as a one-time challenge.

Lim recalls thinking: “Can I? I’m already in my 70s .” But spurred by Loo’s encouragement, she is giving it her all.

Lim performing a bench press during her training session. ST PHOTO: JASEL POH

Lim performing a bench press during her training session.

Besides the deadlift, Lim’s personal best in the bench press is 30kg in a single rep and 45kg in the squat.

As Lim is more fluent in Mandarin than English, the training sessions serve as a drill in the commands and movements required for each lift during the competition.

Although Lim has no competitor in the event, Loo says that “ultimately, her competition is with herself”.

“She wants to make sure that she gets the numbers that she can be proud of, that she feels like ‘I have done my best’. That is also the reason it is important to prepare as much as possible and make sure that she understands the rules of the competition.”

Her transformation has not gone unnoticed, with friends complimenting her physique. Apart from high blood pressure, she says her health is good.

“People ask me whether all the money spent on training is worthwhile. I say, it is,” she says, declining to reveal the figure. “What matters is what you gain – your strength, mobility and quality of life. I can see the difference in myself.”

Today, she has an exercise regimen that would inspire many who are decades younger.

Besides powerlifting sessions twice a week – double her usual routine because of the upcoming competition – she also attends spin classes at another gym three to four times a week and uses the weight machines there for about 30 minutes beforehand.

On days when she has no classes, she takes 45-minute morning walks on weekends from her terrace home in central Singapore, often with her husband.

She also goes on annual ski holidays and long hikes overseas, such as a recent three-hour walk along the Zhenbiancheng Great Wall in Hebei, part of the Great Wall of China.

Putting on muscle has given her more energy for her volunteer work at the HCA Hospice in Woodlands, she says.

Lim holding up a nutritious, easy-to-chew meal she prepared for hospice patients. PHOTO: HCA HOSPICE

Lim holding up a nutritious, easy-to-chew meal she prepared for hospice patients.

Every week, she whips up home-cooked dishes such as curry chicken, herbal soup and stir-fried vegetables for 30 beneficiaries.

Previously, Lim would have enlisted her husband’s help to fry the ingredients in a big wok when she got tired. They have no domestic helper.

Now, she cooks the large meals without assistance, showing off her muscular arms as she tosses bee hoon in a giant wok. She also hauls the heavy pots into and out of her car for delivery with ease.

Lim (right) receiving an appreciation award from HCA Hospice’s former chairwoman Tan Soh Keng in 2025 for 30 years of volunteer service. PHOTO: HCA Hospice

Lim (right) receiving an appreciation award from HCA Hospice’s former chairwoman Tan Soh Keng in 2025 for 30 years of volunteer service.

Lim is the hospice’s longest-serving volunteer, having begun 31 years ago when her son, now aged 38, started primary school.

“I thought, ‘Life needs a purpose. You cannot simply spend it eating, drinking and having fun; it would be meaningless,’” she says of her passion to lift, uplift and serve.

The rewards of hospice volunteering come in the smallest of gestures.

Once, a patient who had lost his appetite caught a whiff of the tea eggs she had brought and asked for them. A few days later, he died.

She also helps out with hospice activities occasionally , such as a make-up session and photo shoot for a patient who was so delighted with the results that she wanted to use the photo at her funeral.

“When you see these things, you realise life is short,” she says.

“The most important thing is to exercise and take good care of ourselves. That is our asset. Then our children do not have to worry about us.”

Stephanie Yeo is senior correspondent at The Straits Times’ Life section.

Health and well-being

林丽怡正在进行60公斤相扑硬拉，她的教练达芙妮·卢在一旁观看。

发布于 2026 年 10 月 17 日上午 8:05

更新于2026年10月17日上午8:55

71岁的祖母林丽怡（Lim Lean Ee）能硬拉70公斤，即将参加她的第一场力量举比赛，展现出与她年龄不符的惊人力量。

她于 2019 年开始进行力量训练以保持健康，但在私人教练的鼓励和挑战自我的激励下，她逐步晋升为参赛选手。

林在严格的训练之余，还积极参与志愿工作，为临终关怀病人烹制丰盛的饭菜，强调运动可以增强体质，提高生活质量。

新加坡——林丽怡屈膝，紧握杠铃，稳住身形，开始做相扑硬拉。她用脚掌中部发力，将70公斤重的杠铃举离地面，直到站直，过程中她脸上露出痛苦的表情。

“放下，”她的私人教练达芙妮·卢用举重运动员的口令说道。林控制着身体，将杠铃放到地上。

这是她硬拉的个人最佳成绩——在她1.57米的身高下，举起了相当于她63公斤体重的约110%。更令人印象深刻的是，她已经71岁了。

林用普通话说：“今天因为拍照，所以感觉重了点。”

她可能在健身房里开玩笑，但她对10月17日举行的首场力量举比赛却是认真备战的。

这位四个孩子的祖母报名参加了一项名为“像女孩一样举重”的女性专属活动，该活动由非营利组织 Powerlifting SG 和女性专属健身工作室 Activ.Co 联合举办。

卢女士表示，林女士是她所在年龄和体重级别中唯一的参赛者。林女士45岁的女儿在科技行业工作，也将参加此次比赛。

力量举包含三个规定动作：杠铃深蹲、卧推和硬拉。这项运动技术要求很高，参赛者必须遵守严格的规则和指令。

不过，参加比赛是林在 2019 年开始力量训练时最不曾想过的事情。

当时，她的女儿建议林女士和她年近七旬的丈夫（一位退休的油漆行业高管）利用她健身房提供的免费私人训练课程。

这位家庭主妇中学毕业后便辍学工作养家，但她一生都保持着活跃的生活方式。尽管五十多岁时膝盖疼痛，她仍然报名参加了团体健身课程。

但她的第一次力量训练开局并不顺利。

“我当时浑身疼痛，整整三个星期都走不了路，”出生于马来西亚、现居新加坡的林女士说道。之后她逐渐适应了运动后的肌肉酸痛，并完成了包含10节私人训练课程的套餐。

在新冠疫情期间暂停训练后，她在2024年找到了另一位教练，这位教练注意到了她的体能。大约一年半前，这位教练将她介绍给了位于中央商务区的私人健身房Stoic Strength的首席教练兼老板Loo，以便她接受进一步的指导。

“我们的初衷从来就不是让她参加比赛，”资深举重运动员卢说道，“而是：‘让她变得更强壮，这样她就能继续参加其他活动，而且不会受伤。’”

但随着林的进步，卢意识到了她的潜力，并建议将比赛作为一次性的挑战。

林回忆当时的想法：“我能做到吗？我已经70多岁了。”但在卢的鼓励下，她全力以赴。

林在训练中进行卧推。海峡时报照片：贾塞尔·波

林在训练中正在进行卧推练习。

除了硬拉之外，林的个人最佳成绩是卧推30公斤，深蹲45公斤。

由于林的普通话比英语更流利，训练课程相当于对比赛中每个举重动作所需的指令和动作进行演练。

尽管林在这项赛事中没有竞争对手，但卢表示，“归根结底，她的竞争对手是她自己”。

“她想确保自己取得令自己满意的成绩，让她觉得‘我已经尽力了’。这也是为什么尽可能做好准备并确保自己了解比赛规则非常重要的原因。”

她的改变引起了大家的注意，朋友们都称赞她的身材。除了高血压之外，她说自己的身体状况良好。

“人们问我，花在训练上的钱是否值得。我的回答是，值得，”她说道，但拒绝透露具体数额。“重要的是你获得了什么——你的力量、灵活性和生活质量。我能明显感受到自己的变化。”

如今，她的健身计划足以激励许多比她年轻几十岁的人。

除了每周两次的力量举重训练（由于即将到来的比赛，训练量是平时的两倍）之外，她每周还会去另一家健身房上三到四次动感单车课，并在那里提前使用器械进行大约 30 分钟的锻炼。

如果当天没有课，她周末会从位于新加坡市中心的家中出发，进行 45 分钟的晨间散步，通常和丈夫一起。

她每年还会出国滑雪度假和长途徒步旅行，例如最近在河北镇边城长城（中国长城的一部分）徒步了三个小时。

她说，增肌让她更有精力在伍德兰兹的HCA临终关怀中心做志愿者工作。

林女士手持一份她为临终关怀病人准备的营养丰富、易于咀嚼的餐食。照片：HCA临终关怀中心

林女士举起她为临终关怀病人准备的营养丰富、易于咀嚼的饭菜。

她每周都会为 30 位受益者烹制家常菜，例如咖喱鸡、药材汤和炒蔬菜。

以前，林女士累了的时候，就会让丈夫帮忙用大炒锅炒菜。他们家没有佣人。

现在，她可以独自烹饪大餐，在巨大的炒锅里翻炒米粉时，她健壮的手臂一览无余。她还能轻松地将沉重的锅具搬进搬出汽车进行配送。

2025年，林先生（右）从HCA安宁疗护中心前主席陈素卿女士手中接过表彰奖，以表彰其30年的志愿服务。照片：HCA安宁疗护中心

2025年，林（右）从HCA Hospice前主席陈素卿手中接过感谢奖，以表彰其30年的志愿服务。

林女士是这家临终关怀中心服务时间最长的志愿者，她从 31 年前开始在这里服务，当时她的儿子（现年 38 岁）刚上小学。

“我当时想，‘人生需要目标。你不能只是把时间花在吃喝玩乐上；那样就毫无意义了，’”她这样描述自己提升、鼓舞人心和服务他人的热情。

临终关怀志愿服务的回报体现在最微小的举动中。

有一次，一位食欲不振的病人闻到了她带来的茶叶蛋的香味，便要了一些。几天后，他就去世了。

她偶尔也会参与临终关怀活动，例如为一位病人化妆和拍照，这位病人对结果非常满意，甚至想在自己的葬礼上使用这张照片。

“当你看到这些事情时，你会意识到生命是短暂的，”她说。

“最重要的是锻炼身体，好好照顾自己。这是我们的财富。这样我们的孩子就不用担心我们了。”

Stephanie Yeo是《海峡时报》生活版的高级记者。

健康与福祉