MADISON- In November, 2020, David Webb visited a powerlifting competition in Decatur to show support for a friend who he came to know through workouts at Huntsville’s Powerhouse Gym. According to Webb, he watched the precision of the total experience of a powerlifting event and the passionate competition he witness and simply “got hooked” on the sport he knew he had very little knowledge of, but was determined to find out.

Since that fateful day in the River City, the 63-year old Webb has made a name for himself on the local, state and national levels by attacking the sport with a competitive drive rarely seen. In just over three months of first making the decision to try the sport, Webb now holds four Alabama state records and one National marks in the sub master men 165-181-pound, 60-64 age division of the United States Powerlifting Association.

Among his drug tested events’ marks are the lone national record: bench press- 242.5 pounds; Alabama state records: squat- 248 pounds, deadlift- 352.7 pounds, bench press- 242.5 pounds, total (bench, squat and deadlift)- 843.3 pounds. He is strictly against steroid use.

Webb’s quick climb up the ladder of success parallel’s other athletic endeavors he’s tackled. Growing up in Louisville, Ky. he didn’t participate in athletics and it wasn’t until his four-stint in the U.S. Army did he shift his gears towards sports. Upon his time to serve his country, Webb played racquetball, softball and bowling, and participated in martial arts. Once moving to Alabama in 1983, he became an Alabama state champion racquetball player and disc golfer. He also earned his teaching certificate for U.S. Kids Golf after not taking up the game of golf until age 48.

Webb and his wife, Nancy, live in Monrovia and will celebrate their 26^th wedding anniversary in April. He has worked on Redstone Arsenal for 27 years and for the last 22 years a research scientist contractor working for the University of Alabama-Huntsville.

“When I first started learning the techniques of powerlifting, like most of my endeavors in athletics, there was a small learning curve,” said Webb. “In powerlifting, you have to follow the commands of the three judges during the competition as you have to carry or lift the weights to a certain point or you will be disqualified. You must complete the lift.”

Webb goes through powerlifting training alongside his training partner Bobby Brown of Harvest, who just happened to set his own Alabama state records (sub master men 35-39 age) in each of the individual events and total lift. Webb gives his dear friend a lot of credit for his own success calling Brown his mentor.

What’s the future look like for the 5-foot-8, 171-pound athlete nicknamed “Old Rooster?”

“I qualified for the Nationals scheduled for October to be held in Orange Beach and then hope to make it to the World Powerlifting Championships where I want to shatter the current record of 259-pounds in the bench press held by a Russian,” said Webb. “I have every intention to bring that world record back to the United States.”