BANKS COUNTY, Ga. — A Banks County High School student set multiple world records this week at the Amateur World Powerlifting Congress World Championship in Limerick, Ireland.
This week, Taylor Cheek set four new world records in squat (125kg), bench press (75kg), deadlift (137.5kg), and total weight.
His coach at Big Dog Barbell told 11Alive that Cheek had a "huge day."
Cheek also snagged a first-place finish in the teen 16–17-year-old division 75kg class.
He completed all nine of his compulsory lifts with no faults. He also completed two out of three bonus lifts.
Cheek was diagnosed with Down syndrome when he was born. 11Alive’s Molly Oak profiled Taylor Cheek earlier this year, showcasing his uplifting spirit and drive.
RELATED: 'More than a diagnosis' | Banks County powerlifting athlete breaks national and world records
Photos | Taylor Cheek
“To just know that people see that he's more than a diagnosis means everything. Because the way you treat people determines what they believe in themselves. So for them to treat him like he can do anything makes him believe that he can do anything,” his mom Sara previously told 11Alive.
Taylor began powerlifting two years ago. Since then, his dad, Reid, said he’s broken and set both national and international records.
Both Sara and Reid said Taylor really came into his own when he started powerlifting and competing in the Special Olympics.
To read more about Cheek’s story, click here.
