Few people could claim to embody the never-say-die spirit synonymous with the very best of Salford quite like world-record-breaking powerlifter and cancer survivor Simon Williams.
Simon’s long and painstaking journey to become a double world deadlift champion began as an effort to shake off the chronic alcoholism threatening to wreck his life.
“I was an alcoholic when I started going to the gym,” he explained, recalling how he knew he needed to confront his addiction head-on when he struggled to pick up the phone to his son while under the influence. “I was missing out on life and had to make a change.”
But the true turning point in his recovery came when a friend took him to a gym in Eccles for the first time. “It was transformational and became a new, positive addiction,” he said.
Hooked on getting fitter, Simon spent hours watching online videos to master the proper lifting technique before his friend challenged him to take on 150 kilograms, promising to donate £150 to homelessness support charity Salford Loaves and Fishes if he succeeded.
That lift proved to be light work for Simon and, after he began to hoist weights up to three times his bodyweight, he soon realised he had the strength to become the trap-bar deadlift world record holder in the over-60s 70kg and 80kg categories.
Having fought off the demons of addiction and found a purpose in becoming the world’s strongest deadlifter in his age category, Simon was rocked by a throat cancer diagnosis ahead of a competition in Scotland.
“I knew the cancer wasn’t going to beat me,” he said. “I kept on going to the gym and lifting despite going through rounds of radiation and chemotherapy.”
Simon went into remission a week before the tournament. Although the determined powerlifter had been weakened by debilitating treatment, the support of his friends and the opportunity to “prove” he was a champion gave him the strength to lift the amount needed to clinch the record.
Since then, the big-hearted athlete has continued to build his fitness back up in the gym while helping to raise money for Salford Loaves and Fishes and a host of other charities.
Jenni Smith, the chief executive behind the Pendleton organisation which supports the city’s homeless, isolated and vulnerable called Simon a “valued supporter.
“Simon has supported us for years in a variety of ways, from auctioning items to hosting events featuring local bands,” she said.
Jenni described how Simon’s talent extends beyond weightlifting to poetry, explaining he often volunteers at the charity’s drop-in centre on Christmas Day where his powerful recitals “bring warmth and meaning to the occasion.”
She added: “We are incredibly grateful for Simon’s continued support.”
It’s no surprise the talented wordsmith can find the words when asked what it means to be a Salford lad:
“In Salford we look after each other, get behind each other and push each other forwards,” he said, remembering the support he was given by friends who travelled to watch his successful world record attempt.
Through the twists and turns of his journey, Simon has authored a tale of resilience, willpower and triumph over adversity.
From overcoming alcoholism and cancer to breaking world records and supporting charitable causes, the gifted powerlifter and poet has reached extraordinary heights and cemented himself as a true Salford Hero.
