Fifteen years ago, Nelson Sleno was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. On Thursday he was busy setting new Canadian age-group powerlifting records.
The 63-year-old Sleno was taking part in the Canadian Powerlifting Union's Central Canadian Championships taking place Thursday through Sunday at the Holiday Inn in Guelph.
It was an early start and a long day for Sleno, two things that can weigh heavily on the longtime Orangeville native as his daily medication wears off.
"My Parkinson's is very strong and affected in the morning," Sleno said. "It's the first time in a long time I've been up at 7 a.m. So I'm a little bit off."
Sleno isn't just a competitor, he's an inspiration.
He taught gym and special needs students for 31 years, kick boxes, has a black belt in karate, is an avid golfer and also plays harmonica in a blues band.
Sleno is also the author of two books (Shaking Hands and Beyond Shaking Hands) about his experiences and coping with Parkinson's. He has a charitable initiative called Help Lift The Weight of Parkinson's and is trying to raise $10,000 at this week's event.
Sleno started lifting weights in 1972. He started powerlifting six years later.
He stopped lifting for 23 years before returning to the sport three years ago.
"I needed to see if I could still do it," he said.
"I had had Parkinson's disease for 12 years and I had to re-learn the lifts to be able to do them according to the rules. That was my biggest challenge."
He was supposed to compete in one last meet, but has continued competing.
The advancing Parkinson's has made it particularly difficult for Sleno to squat deep enough on the squat lift, one of the three disciplines in powerlifting along with bench press and dead lift.
"That's where I ran into some problems today. I was geared to squat 110 kilos at least today, but I finished with my safe opener of 95."
Sleno works out most days at a gym in his home, sometimes dropping into a local fitness centre. His all-time bests lifts back at his peak were 212 kg (470 pounds) squat, 135 (297 pounds) bench press and 205 kg (451 pounds) dead lift.
"I trained pretty much every day for a competition in October and just cartwheeled from there. It totally ruined my golf season," Sleno said.