Woman starts crossfit at 64, wins National Weightlifting title at 69

"There are some days where I don't want to get out of bed and come in." said Cynthia Martin, a 69 year old weightlifter.

"I also know that once I get here and I get the workout done. I know I have accomplished something and that is good for me too."

Every morning at 6:00 A.M., Martin puts her body through a grueling workout at Crossfit 151 in Marion. Martin, who turns 70 this year, started working out at at age 64.

"I came in never having touched the barbell." Martin said. "When I was in high school, there were no athletics for women. So I have never done anything like that."

Martin is a workout warrior, after an intense aerobic routine to start this morning with her body already tired, Cynthia hit the heavyweights for some clean and jerks.

"It challenges me. The strength training is wonderful for specifically I think women of all ages. It definitely helps with bone density for women. It helps your core strength, it helps with flexibility, it is for all around fitness and mobility." Martin said.

"Cynthia pushes us a lot at 6:15." said Crossfit 151 owner Korey Stillman. "We joke that there are a lot of days all of us are looking at Cynthia done putting away her weights and we are still trying to get things done so it's awesome."

Martin loves to lift and she is good at it. She won the 2018 national masters weightlifting championships in Bufffalo, New York.

"Mostly I couldn't believe that I had done it. I couldn't believe I was actually lifting weights at a national competition. It was pretty impressive for me." Martin said.

"The workouts are able to keep me active and I can do a lot of different things that I don't think I would normally be able to do. It is a challenge some days, but it also has an incredible amount of satisfaction. You know you have pushed yourself and you can do a work out."