Gainesville's Moon continues to rewrite all-time bench press records

EAST PEORIA, ILLINOIS -- The wait is over for Georgia IronDawg benchpress champion, Tim "T" Moon of Gainesville. <br /> <br /> He has been chasing an Equipped Bench press mark of 800 pounds for months <br /> and on Saturday he finally ran it down.<br /> <br /> "I smoked 810," an elated Moon said. The mark officially was 367.5 kilograms or 810.1905 pounds. "I had 826(.75) in me, I just touched it too low." <br /> <br /> Only a week after winning the Best Lifter and setting the Global Powerlifting Alliance Raw (or unequipped) and all-time world mark for his age and weight class (50-54 years old 125 kilogram/275.575 pounds) at 530.21 lbs. in winning the American Powerlifting National Championship in Athens, Moon went up to <br /> Illinois and set the Equipped world record in the World United Amateur Powerlifters-USA division's National Championship. <br /> <br /> He also picked up another Best Lifter Award as he broke the Open and Master's 50-54 125 kilo class record with his opening lift of 345 kilos/760.587 pounds before going on to bump the record further on his second lift. If he had gotten the 826.75, <br /> <br /> Moon says that would have been the heaviest bench press in the organization's history. The Equipped divisions allow the lifters to use the special bench press shirts which help protect the shoulders and give a lift at the bottom.<br /> <br /> "WOW, I'm not sure how to feel," Moon said. "Thankful for sure. It has truly been an amazing week. I was fortunate enough to lift with the IronDawgs in Athens and win personally and as a team last weekend. (I) didn't really know what to expect lifting raw 'cause I don't train for it; but hit a world record for the GPA.<br /> <br /> "I know I've been told by several people not to compete back to back but I decided to anyway. I set the world record last year for the WUAP (World United Amateur Powerlifting) in Masters and Open so I wanted to break my own records. I did 756 with them in Germany last year so to hit 810 today was huge. I turned 50 in January and have been looking for the 800. (810 pounds) is the heaviest benchpress of anybody over 50 years old ever recorded. What an honor, also very humbling. God as truly made me strong."<br /> <br /> "'T' Moon is just an amazing lifter," said IronDawg benchpress team captain, <br /> R. Garry Glenn of Oakwood. "I don't know that people realize how nearly unbelievable it is to set two all-time world records in back-to-back weekends. <br /> The fact that he has only been lifting competitively for about four years and battles diabetes makes it even more incredible. I don't think he's done."<br /> <br /> "A big thanks to my family for their support and my training partners <br /> at the Ironbeast (Gym in Gainesville), Moon added. "If I can raise the funds I want to compete at the WUAP worlds in Austria in September and possibly the GPA worlds in Australia in November to represent the USA."<br /> <br /> Moon is a 1982 alumnus of Jefferson High School.

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