U.S. champion powerlifter divides time for gym and medschool
Unbeknownst to Belizean sporting fans, there has been an international weightlifting champion in the country since last December. Thirty four year old American David Karam, who has been studying at the Belize Medical College at Bally Gardens on the Northern Highway, is a three times World Champion Powerlifter. The athlete has also managed to beat the World Record in the “Squat” with a lift of over eight hundred pounds. But Karam, who competes in the lightweight division, has been doing more than just lifting medical books while in Belize. The champion has been working overtime in the gym, preparing for the upcoming World Powerlifting Championships this summer. This afternoon we caught up with Karam for a little chitchat during one of his rare free periods at the college, and found out how it all got started.
David Karam, Powerlifting, World Champion
“Basically I got started trying to help myself out with other sports. Playing football, American football, and looking to get a little bit bigger and stronger and it just kind of evolved into powerlifting.”
Q: “How long have you been doing it?”
David Karam
“Competively, about ten years. I started out, I was very fortunate. The people that helped me out entered me in a contest the first year and I won the World’s, the first year that I was competing, so it made it easier to stick with it and continue the training.”
Q: “Okay, presently you are training for the World Championships?”
David Karam
“Yes, I am preparing for the World Championships, the powerlifting in Sweden. That will be held in August and then hopefully in the track and field onto the Two thousand Olympics.”
Q: “How have you been doing that while staying in Belize?”
David Karam
“I’ve been pretty lucky. The people at Body Shop, Two Thousand have been very helpful to allow me to use the gym over there and to train over there, make sure that I have the facilities and the people to help me. So they have been a big help and the people here at the school have been a tremendous help to give me the time that I have needed so it’s been a pleasant experience.”
Besides studying and training in Belize, Karam says arrangements with the Ministry of Sports are underway to see how he can assist in training and preparing a group of Belizeans to compete in his other sport – the javelin throw.
