This past Saturday at the Nirvana Fitness Center, 24 year old Jason Greer won the admiration and respect of the weightlifting community by lifting 440 lbs. in an open bench press competition to take both individual 165 lb. weight class and overall lifter honors. What made this event remarkable was the wheelchair he uses to get to the bench. Jason is a paraplegic.

In 1993, an auto accident on I-95 caused severe injuries and paralysis below the waist. Thirty days in a body shell and three months of work at the Magee Rehabilitation Center got him ready for his new life, but it was up to Jason to fill in the blanks. Weightlifting became his focus.

Greer studied all he needed to know about nutrition, fitness and body building before lifting his first barbell. But there was one problem, to bench press, the legs are needed to balance the body and lift the weight that first few inches off the chest. That's where his brother Tom came into the picture. These two are more than just training partners. In competition, Tom weighs down Jason's torso to compensate for the senseless legs, all the time acting as a coach and confidante.

Jason Greer has achieved incredible success. In little over a year of competition he's taken top honors in 13 wheelchair contests and two open able body competitions, including events in Colorado and Oklahoma. The high point of this brief career has been the World Wheelchair Games held in jolly old England and featuring athletes from 38 countries. Greer took first place while setting a World record of 405 lbs. in the bench press.

But the event Saturday was even more impressive. Before the competition, Jason and Tom sat quietly whispering on the warm-up bench. A severe pain in Greers huge shoulder threatened his performance. Normally it takes eight reps at 350 lbs. to get ready, but Jason could only do two. Champions feed on pain and the crowd feeds on performance. In three lifts, the 165 pounder lifted 405, 420, and a record 440 lbs. to clinch the title before a screaming appreciative crowd.

It takes a tremendous amount of support to complete. Along with his brother, Tom, there's mother and step father, Sunday and Bob McGrady cheering from the stands. After a letter from Sunday about her son's achievements, Champion Nutrition co. has donated Jason's protein and nutritional supplements. Tim and Marcy at Nirvana Fitness at 'G' and Luzerne have opened their gym to the budding lifter, and Greer now works three days a week in the sports department at the Trentonian following articles by the Inquirer and Trentonian.

Lifting has helped Jason in every aspect of his life. It's increased his mobility and self assuredness, lead to independent living, a job and life in mainstream society.

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