#powerlifting

#powerlifting

At 75, Barbara Phillips has been involved in sports, fitness, and healthy eating her entire life. She took up competitive powerlifting last year, soon after recovering from a second hip replacement. The grandmother of 10 works out 6 times and goes to country-and-western line dancing 3 times weekly.

"All the energy you put in, you get back manyfold more through the metabolic and mental benefits of exercise," Holtan told Business Insider. "As soon as I really realized what this was doing for me physically and mentally, I wanted to implement this for patients too." Her patients at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York receive stem cell treatments for conditions like leukemia - a grueling procedure that can require months of recovery time in a hospital.

"Stay true to the thing you're doing," Hunter said.

Sister Pat Farrell, at age 72, showcased her strength and faith by competing in her first powerlifting contest, earning a medal for her impressive lifts.