Sports
Cranston rock solid in feats of strength
Jody Cranston simply refuses to rest on his
laurels.
Two years ago he was recognized at the annual
Richmond Sports Awards as the 2016 Master Athlete of the Year. That honour
simply further fuelled his motivation. Recently, the distinguished local
powerlifter tried his hand at another feat of strength: throwing stones.
Literally.
“I love competing and challenging myself,”
Cranston explains. “I think that all started when I set goals to meet my early
powerlifting years back. It always feels great to set a goal and meet it.”
So he signed on to represent Richmond at the
22nd Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned Feats of Strength contest at Alki Beach
in Seattle. He came away having set a Canadian masters record in the 72-pound
stone throw event. Competing in the 198-pound division, he threw the stone
11.75 feet.
“I took about a year to work on the
technique,” says Cranston, adding trying to keep up with his 11-year-old
daughter Taila and all her sports and activities helps too.
He also extends credit to his coach Gary Fee.
“Stone throwing and the track and field
throws are gaining in popularity,” Cranston says. “It is great to be able to
include outdoor training (an all-year initiative) to the indoor weight, power
and gym training.”
Owner of Connection: Corporate Health, a
fitness centre in Vancouver since 2011, Cranston began Powershape Personal
Training in 1997. He is also a partner in Oranj Fitness with locations from
B.C. to Ontario.
Cranston won gold in powerlifting at the BC
Winter Games and set the provincial weight throw record for masters-aged (45
years and older) athletes. He’s also excelled at the bench press, with a best
deadlift of 590 pounds.
The first-place finish in the stone throw qualifies
Cranston for the AAU world championships in Las Vegas this fall.
His advice to others: “Whether it is stone
throwing, powerlifting or any sport for that matter, find something you enjoy
doing and put in the work. There is no down side to this.”