Klaus Freund is a very strong guy. But until the end of May he suffered like a dog. “Without my sport, I fell into a very deep hole.” His sport: That is powerlifting. But only for three years.
Before that, he made his body suffer for a long time. The original Kersbacher played at the DJK until he was 19, and when he started shift work, all sporting activities came to a standstill. High blood pressure, tinnitus, Crohn’s disease – it all came together. “I felt so bad,” he recalls.
At 49, the machine operator at Loparex decided that something had to change and decided to do fitness training at AC Bavaria Forchheim. Until he discovered exercises like the bench press. And got stuck. Because weight training was not only fun for him, it was good for him. “I was suddenly a different person.”
Suddenly Klaus Freund had arrived in a circle of people with whom he felt comfortable. “Although I was always the oldest by far,” says the 55-year-old. But that was exactly what he liked, the incentive of the boys. When the praise came that he was not doing badly, the way was almost paved for competitive sport.
Fight of life: Forchheimer boxing for the European middleweight title
Marten Arsumanjan, cousin of Arthur Abraham, from AC Bavaria Forchheim is facing the fight of his life. He climbs into the ring against Björn Schicke. The fight is for the European middleweight title.
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“At first I thought it was a joke,” admits Freund. But then he let himself be persuaded, especially since the premiere took place in his home facility. Now he had tasted blood. “If I do something, then I’ll do it smartly,” he gives his motto. Seven to ten hours of “iron hard” training with at least as ambitious coach Christoph Seefeld – and suddenly he was Bavarian champion in age group II up to 95 kilograms in powerlifting. 212 pounds on the deadlift, 180 on the squat, and 127.5 on the bench press. This can be seen for a career changer who came later on.
Wife Karin is also behind the new hobby of her husband, traveled to all events, the beloved Kois in the large pool in the garden now had to do their laps more and more often alone on the weekends.
“I felt like shit”
But then everything was cut off. No more competitions, with a short break, no training. “I haven’t done any sport since November and couldn’t get myself up to anything,” admits Klaus Freund. “To be honest, I felt like shit.” He needs the atmosphere at Bavaria, the sweat and the smell.
In terms of health, he also felt worse again due to the corona break. But for two weeks now he has been “eating” iron again. “I started very slowly, I don’t want to get injured right away. It will take months to get back to where I was, ”he fears. But giving up is not an option: “I have goals again, let’s see if I can implement them. In five or six years I would like to go to a world or European championship. “
The reunion was nice
It was nice to see the sports mates again, even if most of them were already fitter than him, who didn’t do anything at home.
Karin Freund was just as happy about the comeback as her husband: “Sometimes he was a bit uncomfortable. He just needs his sport. “
And if he can achieve his international goals, the oldest strength athlete in the Forchheim district should be happy. We keep our fingers crossed for him that his sport, “where I sometimes have to go to the pain limit”, will be as good as before Corona.
Please help
If you also know an active athlete who is the “Methuselah” in his discipline in the district, please inform us at [email protected]
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