Copper Canyon residents Rodger and Kimberlee Delany booked a flight to Las Vegas last September, but it’s not a trip for relaxing, drinking and gambling.
Kim, 58, competed at the International Masters Weightlifting Association World Championships.
Most doctors recommend weights as a way for seniors to stay in shape. Kim and Rodger said they just took it way too far.
That dedication earned Kim a spot at worlds after placing third overall at nationals in Boise, Idaho.
Rodger, 59, accompanied her as support. He earned first place in his age and weight class at nationals, but didn’t quite earn a spot in Vegas. However, he was still excited to go for Kim.
“If you told us 10 years ago we’d be going to a world championship, there’s no way we could have imagined that,” he said.
Early into their lifting journey, Rodger thought they might go watch worlds as spectators, but, thanks to their coach Scott Reed, one of them has the chance to compete.
“We wouldn’t have been able to get as far as we did, or even have stuck with it, if it wasn’t for him,” said Kim. “And that’s because he sticks with us.”
Scott graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a degree in Kinesiology. While he was there, he dealt with snowstorms and tornados, including the infamous Joplin tornado in 2011.
“It was miserable,” he said. “My junior year, the pipes froze three times and we lost electricity twice.”
That called for a change in scenery. Unfortunately, he made it to Texas just in time for ‘snowmageddon’ and tornado season.
Scott started lifting competitively in 2014. He has battled injuries throughout his career, but has continued to coach while entering competitions every once in a while.
Also in 2014, Kim and Rodger moved to Texas from New Jersey. A year later, the two got married.
Two years after that, Scott met the Delanys and started coaching them. He said Kim and Rodger have done well, achieving more than he was able to.
“Both of them, technically, have exceeded my personal abilities,” said Scott. “I went to nationals once and had the worst performance of my life. They both went to nationals and had a pretty darn good performance.”
When Scott competed at nationals, he had a chance to make it to the Olympics. Rodger said that’s part of the reason him and Kim have found success.
“He was competing at a national level to be in the Olympics. So, we have this great lifter who’s smart and a little manipulative,” he said. “But you have to be, because when you get older, you find a million reasons why you can’t do something, but the real reason is you didn’t try.”
Rodger and Kim have found almost a million reasons why they can.
“We do it for fun, it keeps us in shape and gives us a competitive edge,” said Kim. “When you’re over 50, chances are you’re not really doing a lot of that, so this keeps us competitive.”
It proves that hard things like weightlifting are possible for anyone.
“No one ever looked at me 30 years ago and said ‘You’re going to be any good at weightlifting,’ not even me,” said Rodger. “So, things that I was told I’d never be able to do, [Scott] was able to get me on that.”
Both Kim and Rodger work full-time. And, in a world full of chaos, lifting is a way to find some relief.
“I call it sweating out the crazy,” said Kim. “We both work full-time and it can be… ya know.”
It isn’t always easy, but Scott helps in that sense, also.
“Scott has to talk me off the ledge sometimes because it’s hard to shake off the day,” she said. “But, sweating it out is better than drugs and alcohol.”
The support Scott provides to Kim and Rodger has allowed them to supersede aging.
“There are a lot of challenges when you get older… things start to hurt and some things stop working. He just works around it and we keep moving forward,” said Kim. “He really believes in us and that’s what he’s in it for. That makes a big difference.”
Kim said she’s thankful that, at her age, she’s able to continue doing something she loves.
“When you get over 50, you see a lot of your friends or family and the physical ailments they have,” said Kimberlee. “And I thank God every day that we’re both still in a place that we can do this.”
Scott works around some of the quirks of getting older, but he still doesn’t let Kim or Rodger give anything less than 100 percent.
“Because he believes in us, he won’t let us slide if the lift isn’t right or if we’re in our head,” said Rodger. “He cares enough about people that are so old, he probably shouldn’t care about. But, because he cares, we care. So, we’re able to produce unbelievable results.”
Those unbelievable results are because of Scott’s training and knowledge, but also because of the dedication of Kim and Rodger.
“Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, we’re here with Scott no matter what,” said Kim. “It’s just a part of our life now.”
In 2020, Kim qualified for nationals, but, due to the pandemic, she had to compete in her garage and send in videos of her lifts.
At the same time, they invited the community over and safely held lift sessions when the gyms were closed.
Kim is always interested in sharing her love for the sport and encouraging others to try something new. It also helps when you have someone like Scott in your corner.
Anyone that comes into the gym is welcome and treated as family.
“I love the people that come in and out of here,” said Kim. “And Scott is just something else. He’s just so awesome. It’s easy to say ‘I’m not going to even bother with 50-year-olds,’ but he does.”
Part of Scott’s training is believing. He preaches that belief will turn into results.
“You’ve gotta believe to achieve, baby,” he said.
Rodger and Kim have bought into that mindset.
“There’s a saying that goes ‘if you think you can’t you’re right,’ so if you think you can’t do something, you aren’t going to do it,” said Rodger.
Scott has a way of getting through to people. He has trained a plethora of professional athletes, but isn’t above training the Kims and Rodgers of the world.
“He goes from real athletes to us, but he treats us the same,” said Kim. “That’s what is so special about it, he treats everyone with the same intensity and compassion.”
Rodger didn’t just compete at nationals this year, he had the best performance of his life.
“To go and have my best performance ever, it was super nice,” he said. “And the motivation was to be great, but also not to let Scott down. He has so much invested in this.”
When there are so many reasons for Kim, Rodger and Scott to say no to meeting up three times a week to do something some might say isn’t worth it, the three of them have found a bunch of reasons why they can, and should.
“In church a few weeks ago, they said the gift is the struggle,” said Rodger. “The struggle is what makes you strong.”
