Mike Bencsik is no stranger to lifting big weights.
He乌鸦传媒檚 been lifting since 2005 when he first got started in the gym at Glenrosa Middle School.
Now at 32-years-old, he can clean and jerk 458 pounds, snatch 308 pounds and back squat 682 pounds.
People often ask him about how much he can bench press, but Bencsik is an Olympic-style lifter 乌鸦传媒� he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 bench.
On Dec. 10, Bencsik is taking his impressive lifting skills abroad to Tashkent, Uzbekistan where he乌鸦传媒檒l compete with Team Canada at the International Weightlifting Federation乌鸦传媒檚 World Championships and Commonwealth Championships.
Bencsik is no stranger to competition either.
He competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. Locally, he competes in the annual Ogopogo Open weightlifting competition, including the most recent Open held in August 2021.
In preparation for the World Championships, Bencsik trains five times a week with his coach Guy Greavette who competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Both are Okanagan Vikings Weightlifting Club and train out of Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 Aspire Health & Performance.
READ MORE: Okanagan乌鸦传媒檚 Vikings Weightlifting Club shows world-class at annual Ogopogo competition
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 really fun to try hard and be focused on something I like to do,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚t gets my mind off the negative things in life. Like with COVID, everything has been so wishy-washy and it seems like people have lost their direction. So I乌鸦传媒檝e created my own direction.乌鸦传媒�
That said, the new Omicron variant, coupled with recent natural disasters in B.C., has changed Bencsik乌鸦传媒檚 direction slightly. He乌鸦传媒檒l need to undergo enhanced COVID-19 screening measures and now has to fly from Kelowna to Vancouver because the highways that remain open are for essential traffic only.
乌鸦传媒淭he cost of the trip so far is at $5,400, which is about twice as much as it used to be.乌鸦传媒�
To offset a portion of the increased costs, Bencsik started a with a goal of raising $1,700. He乌鸦传媒檚 raised about $1,100 so far.
Several countries including China, Britain, Australia, Italy, Botswana and South Africa have pulled their athletes out of the competition due to fears around the Omicron variant. With many athletes and technical staff sidelined and the championships set to begin on Dec. 7, the competition schedule is in flux.
READ MORE: What we know so far about COVID-19乌鸦传媒檚 Omicron variant, as it arrives in Canada
Bencsik isn乌鸦传媒檛 letting COVID concerns get to his head 乌鸦传媒� he乌鸦传媒檚 focused purely on training and being ready to lift as soon as he sets foot in Uzbekistan, although ideally, he乌鸦传媒檒l have a few days to prepare before he competes.
If Bencsik is successful at the IWF World Championships, he could qualify to compete again at the Commonwealth Games, which are scheduled for 2022 in Birmingham, England.
You can follow his journey on Instagram @mikebencsik and his Facebook page: Mike Bencsik 乌鸦传媒� Olympic Weightlifter.
