It’s been quite the journey for 77-year-old powerlifter Mick Ellender - and it’s not over yet!

After all, if a heart attack and being diagnosed with cancer weren’t enough to stop him, why would he allow age to slow him down now?

Few compete globally in the sport at Ellender’s age - let alone those who have had the sort of health issues he’s faced - but the Herne Bay man’s love affair with powerlifting shows no sign of diminishing.

On how he’s come back from such challenges, he said: “I’m a stubborn old git!”

Not many previous years have been quite as productive as 2022 proved, though. Ellender won gold, silver and bronze medals in World, European and British national competitions as, overall, he claimed 17 golds, five silvers, and a bronze medal.

This year, he hopes to compete in competitions in Mongolia, South Africa and France.

“It’s been a brilliant ride,” he said. “I’m 77-years-old. In 1999, I had a heart attack and, in 2017, I got prostate cancer and came back from that.

“I had a [knee] operation and I didn’t think I would be able to squat again. But at the beginning of last year, I competed at the British Benchpress Championships. It stood me in good stead for the year.”

Ellender, who works as a volunteer at Golding Surplus in Canterbury, first took up powerlifting in 1976, aged 31.

He explained: “I was an ex-cyclist. I spent 10 years being absolutely rubbish, but I enjoyed it. It’s bulked me up because I was a scrawny little rat.”

Ellender last year competed at events in the UK, Sweden, Hungary, Canada and New Zealand, and won Commonwealth Championship gold medals. He is part of the International Powerlifting Federation.

“I have been all over the place,” he said. “Last year was as mad as it’s ever been. It all kicks off again in February. Then the credit card gets more GBH.”

He is joined on his exhibitions by his partner, Charlotte. Both are qualified referees - Mick at international level and Charlotte at divisional level.

He said: “She’s the second lady in my life. When we met, I made it pretty damn clear that this is the horse you’re attaching your carriage to. But we rub along well.”

Having initially bounced back from a heart attack, Ellender feared his weightlifting days were finally behind him when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017. But after surgery, it wasn’t long before he was competing again.

He said: “I qualified for the Europeans five months after the operation. With the heart attack, it was suggested by a cardiologist [to get back training again]. Fitness helps to carry you through these things.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal! It does get a hold of me. There’s no money in the sport. We just do it because we love it.”

There’s already few still competing worldwide at Ellender’s age and, if he keeps going until he is 80, there’s even less still in that age category.

The grandfather said: “There’s only one competitor older than me [in his class]. There are a few out there but I’m a Masters 4 and, at 80, I’ll become a Masters 5.

“Worldwide, there’s probably 20 or 30 Masters 4. Then, Masters 5, you can probably put on one hand! But it’s very inclusive - there’s no limitation for creed, age or religion. I enjoy it - but you do need to be a bit crazy.”

He trains at the Prime Performance Gym in Whitstable and produced a dead lift of 235kg in 2017. His most recent event in November in New Zealand saw him lift a total of 430kg.

“I train three times a week, about two hours in the evenings,” he said. “It’s literally five minutes up the road.

“My legs are struggling at the moment because I squatted last night. But it’s how it is. I’m aware it’s going to hurt.”

The camaraderie among competitors is something Ellender really enjoys, as he explains why he doesn’t have any plans to retire yet.

He said: “There’s going to be a point where the body just says ‘enough’. But I’m still hanging in.

“Arthritis is creeping slowly but you don’t let these things stop you. We’re all a little crazy.

“But it’s a sport where the person you are beating is standing there cheering you on. It’s that inclusive. It’s very supportive.

“There’s no angst because we all know what we can do. It’s great fun. We have friends all over the world. We pick up conversations months on from where we left it before.”