DOVER, Del.- At the age of 100, World War II veteran and fitness enthusiast Werner Schlaupitz achieved his goal of bench pressing 100 pounds.
Schlaupitz celebrated his 100th birthday with the feat, stating that he feels better than ever. "I feel very rested, I don't feel tired or worn out or anything. I feel energetic, I feel like I could continue going more," he said.
He credited his trainer, George Dobbins, who owns CrossFit Dover (see photo), for helping him reach his goal.
"He's a great physical trainer. He is very authentic about how you move, very precise, and he is also a good psychologist – when I'm down, he brings me up," Schlaupitz said.
Dobbins praised Schlaupitz's dedication to fitness, saying he never misses a workout session. "He is very intentional about his time and having this time so he's able to challenge his body and work towards a goal that he has set out," Dobbins said.
The two first met at the Senior Olympics event held by Crossfit Dover last year.
"It's inspiring to know that we can still challenge our bodies in certain ways, such as a bench press, at 100 years old," said Dobbins.
Schlaupitz recounted his time served in WWII saying, "God has placed His favor upon me to bring me up to this age because I was on the front lines in WWII for two solid years and the Lord brought me through all of this, although I had quite a few very, very narrow escapes."
He tells WBOC the secret to living a long and healthy life is staying active and avoiding harmful habits like drinking and smoking.
He plans to participate in the Senior Olympics this October.
Share this