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A 62-year-old, vegan, record-breaking powerlifter from Arizona is defying expectations and breaking world records…
Photo: Sedona Red Rock News
Rocky Luedeker of Oak Creek started lifting competitively four years ago, after wanting to follow in her family’s footsteps.
“I was sitting there and was like, ‘Why am I sitting here? I have arms and legs. I can do that, too,'” she told AZ Family.
Luedeker has 13 world records and 26 state and national records.
“My best curl is 45 pounds, my best squat is 124 pounds, my best deadlift is 184. It feels good knowing you got that weight up, putting it back down, seeing the white lights knowing you got it,” Luedeker said.
Plant-based diet
Rocky achieves her fitness goals by following a plant-based diet. When it comes to food, she’s a big fan of bean and rice and eats lettuce every day.
“A common myth is we don’t have enough protein, and we have more than enough protein,” she said.
Inspiration
However, Leudeker knows that reaching your goals takes more than just protein to become a high-performance athlete. It takes the right attitude: “If I don’t get it this time, I will practice harder and get it next time,” Rocky said.
Rocky has passed her positive attitude down to her daughter, Bianca Luedeker.
“Definitely, lifting has greatly increased my confidence,” Bianca said.
Bianca is a vegetarian and is currently in training for the 2024 Olympics. She said she is proud to be part of the “Lifting Luedekers,” and proud of her powerlifting mum.
“Her deadlift is twice her weight,” Bianca said. “Her weight is 90 pounds. She’s deadlifting 182, and I think about how long it took me to get to that point. It was really hard.”
Rocky hopes that she can inspire other women to get active and reach their fitness goals, saying: “I’m doing it! If I’m doing it, they can do it! It’d be nice to see more ladies my age doing things. I’d really like to see that.”
Rocky will be competing in Las Vegas in November, and is hoping to break the bench press record.
Photos: AZ Family.
