At 75, Becky Lane has discovered that getting older doesn’t necessarily mean doing less. Sometimes, it means finding something entirely new to do — like powerlifting.
The Reston grandmother spent years as an avid runner until a rare medical condition forced her to give up the sport she loved. Then a friend at the Reston YMCA dared her to try powerlifting. Less than a year later, Lane is a two-time national champion and the holder of two world records in her age and weight class.
National Championships
At the United States Powerlifting Association National Championships in Anaheim, California, last May, Lane bench pressed 71.6 pounds and deadlifted 170.8 pounds — more than one and a half times her body weight — to set two world records. Now she’s preparing to compete at the 2026 USPA World Championships in Las Vegas in November.
Lane lives in Reston Town Center, within walking distance of the Reston YMCA, where she trains. Her introduction to powerlifting came almost by accident. A longtime runner, Lane was forced to stop because of a rare spinal condition. She had spinal surgery and now has 10 screws supporting her neck.
“It was difficult because I love to run,” she says.
Giving up running didn’t mean giving up on being active. Strength training offered another way forward. Then Alison Combes came along. The two women had been friends for four years when Combes, a former competitive gymnast and accomplished powerlifter, encouraged Lane to give the sport a try.
Lane watched Combes move serious weight around the gym and eventually asked if she could train with her. Then Combes dared her to compete. Lane accepted.
Her first competition was on Valentine’s Day in Pennsylvania. She had been training for only a short time and was still learning the intricacies of the sport.
In powerlifting, competitors perform three lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Lane competes in a division determined by both age and body weight. She weighs about 100 pounds.
Her approach to competition is unconventional: Lane prefers not to know exactly how much weight is being loaded onto the bar. At one competition, Combes told her she was going for a state record.
“I went, ‘I’m going for a state record?’” Lane says. Combes’ response: “Yes, you are. Get over there and pick that up.” Later, the goal became a national record.
“I’m not doing that,” Lane told her. “Yes, you are,” Combes said. Lane did it.
By the time she reached the USPA Nationals in Anaheim, Lane was no longer simply testing out a new sport. She was competing for national titles — and records. She won two national titles, while her 71.65-pound bench press and 170.8-pound deadlift set world records in her USPA age-and-weight category.
Pete Gallelli, one of Lane’s trainers at the YMCA, says her determination is one of the qualities that separates her from many of the people he trains. “When Becky Lane was born, she got an extra serving of no quit can-do,” he says.
For a woman weighing less than 105 pounds, the deadlift is particularly striking, but Lane isn’t interested in comparing herself with the much larger lifters she encounters at competitions.
Her philosophy is simple: “It’s not about the size. It’s what your body can do,” she says.
Training Days
Lane trains three days a week with weights and spends three additional days on stretching, yoga, and other accessory work. Her coaches at the Reston YMCA, Sebastian Robertson and Gallelli, help guide her workouts and nutrition, while Combes focuses heavily on technique and keeping her safe.
Camaraderie is one of the things she loves most about the sport. “Powerlifting can seem intimidating, but it’s actually very welcoming,” Lane says. “It is strength training at a different level. The YMCA has created an environment where people of all ages and fitness levels can succeed.”
Away from the gym, Lane is hardly sitting still. After spending years in the printing business, she later worked for a nonprofit in the security industry. Today, she volunteers with the Global Life Safety Alliance, an international organization that connects security and life-safety professionals around the world.
The Next Lift
Lane and Combes are now preparing for the 2026 USPA World Championships in Las Vegas, where Lane will compete among experienced lifters from around the world. “I’m the newbie on the block here,” she says.
But Lane isn’t intimidated. Gallelli says her willingness to take on a challenge is what makes her such an unusual athlete — and such an appealing role model.
“She is fearless and she is relentless, and she will not be denied,” he says.
For this powerlifter, 75 isn’t a finish line. It’s another starting point.
Feature image of Becky Lane, right, and Alison Combes at the National Deadlift Competition courtesy YMCA of Metropolitan Washington
