South Carolina strength athlete and 67-year-old stroke survivor presses 1,003 pounds for new PR

Smith breaks previous 973-lbs. record by leg-pressing more than a half ton

COLUMBIA, SC, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Less than one week after leg-pressing 973 lbs. and within days of beating Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khure’s virally celebrated bench press feat, veteran U.S. Marine Infantry leader and military hall of famer W. Thomas Smith Jr. hit a new personal record (PR) and according to most metrics a new state record by leg-pressing 1,003 lbs. for two full repetitions at One Life Fitness-Sandhills in Columbia, South Carolina.

Witnessed and verified by 1LF strength coach Aaron Glenn, October 18, 2026, Smith’s lift is thus far the highest recorded or reported “raw” leg-press lift for his age in South Carolina. ‘Raw’ meaning no knee wraps or other supportive assists as he physically pressed with his bare legs the massive half-ton load on a leg-press sled. Other strength and power athletes have pressed heavier weight for official record, but all men were younger athletes with tightly wrapped legs. Smith’s new PR is all the more remarkable as he suffered several major simultaneous strokes in May 2024 requiring hospitalization.

“The doctors all say years of strength training are quite literally what saved my life in 2024,” said Smith.

Smith has lifted weights off-and-on for most of his life, but his gym prowess for the past two years has established the formerly deployed USMC rifle squad leader and retired S.C. Military Department officer as something of a luminary in Columbia, S.C. strength and fitness circles.

In an article published Oct. 7. Smith lamented his powerlifting being somewhat limited. “I love bench-pressing,” he said. “But I no longer squat or deadlift – two of the big three powerlifting events – because of my lower back and somewhat worn old infantry knees. So that limits me to what they call a ‘bench specialist.’ I don’t really like that, but it is what it is.”

Smith’s bench-press is noteworthy for his age, 67, and weight, 198: In July, he benched 315 lbs. for a lifetime PR – stronger than 99.9 percent of all male lifters in his age and weight category, worldwide, according to Cambridge University’s Strength-level Calculator. He benched 315 lbs. again in Sept., and he regularly benches 295 lbs. for repetitions and 305 for at least two reps.

But his 1,003X2 is what has become the talk of the weight room and beyond. According to Strength-level Calculator, Smith’s 1,003 for two reps is stronger than 99.993 percent of all male lifters his age and weight, worldwide.

Not surprising says retired Marine colonel and S.C. Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee Steve Vitali. “A Marine leader and strength athlete like Tom is the kind of man who will fight his way through hellfire and brick walls to achieve what lesser men only dream of,” said Vitali, himself an accomplished athlete (martial arts and mountaineering) who commanded U.S. and foreign forces in Iraq and Afghanistan during both wars.

What are the secrets to Smith’s strength and power success?

“No secrets other than persistence and prayer,” he says. “You have to work hard, train at every opportunity – even when you don’t feel like it – and you have to ask God for His strength in every set; at least as I do. Those things and technique. As in any sport, perfected technique in any form of powerlifting is important.”

Asked about physical risk, Smith responded: “Yes, of course there’s risk, but’s it’s always a calculated risk. And I am the soul of caution. Nothing worthwhile will ever be achieved without pushing the envelope. But you absolutely must respect the weight. Iron will hurt you if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Christopher David Carter
ASV Entertainment and Sports