RICH WILLIS: My daughter Cherry, she saw somebody
with dwarfism who is powerlifting and she said to me, “Do you think you could do that
Daddy?”
RICH WILLIS: What motivates me to keep going during the tougher workouts is the fact that
I really want to be able to make my daughter Cherry proud of me. My average workout involves
a lot of pain, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears; it was a lot of hard work.
NICK HEWICK: Rich’s workout ethic is unreal
like, never seen someone with so much determination to make it to Tokyo in 2020.
COMM: Just one year ago, 47-year-old Rich
had never lifted a single weight but today he’s training to become part of the next
British Powerlifting Paralympic team.
RICH WILLIS: Right then Cherry, shall we have a protein shake?
CHERRY WILLIS: Do you want me to?
RICH WILLIS: Have you set your stall up? You’re
gonna be the shake lady.
RICH WILLIS: What inspired me to start power-lifting was the fact that I was watching the Paralympics
with my daughter and she saw this lady with dwarfism and she recognized that she was like
me; she said, ‘Daddy do you think you could do that?’ Well at the time I had just come
out of many major surgeries. To be honest, I’ve got quite an addiction to opiate-based
pain medications that I’ve been on for years. I think it was the kick that I needed to actually
do something with my life that was positive. I just quit all the medications that I was
on while my doctor was on holiday; went cold turkey and took up powerlifting.
COMM: Since starting his powerlifting training,
his five-year-old daughter Cherry has been by his side every step of the way.
CHERRY WILLIS: My daddy powerlifting is good.
I think my daddy can make it into the Paralympics.
RICH WILLIS: Having Cherry along with me, my competitions and training is immensely
inspiring for me and motivational-wise as well because she gets to see Daddy getting
stronger and something for her to be proud of when Daddy competes.
NICK HEWICK: I have never doubted Rich’s
ability to power-lift when he first came to us. We adapted our training methods to suit
his needs.
CHARLIE WILLIS: When Rich first told me he was going to try powerlifting, I initially
was concerned for the effects it could have on him physically. Obviously, it’s not without
its risks to even, you know, an able-bodied individual but obviously with Rich’s health
conditions, being as they are, I was sort of concerned.
RICH WILLIS: The type of dwarfism that I have
is a condition called diastrophic dwarfism. My long bones are obviously affected and my
arms are a lot shorter, and my fingers obviously. I think it’s quite a rare condition compared
to most of the dwarfisms. And I have complicated joints so that they don’t actually move
in the same way as other people’s joints do.
RICH WILLIS : Growing up with dwarfism as
a child, it’s quite difficult in the sense that you attract a lot of attention from other
children because you do stand out. You’re always smaller than your peers because I had
to have an awful lot of surgeries; I think over 40 as a child. Because I was born with
my legs turned inwards – I had what they call telebasel clubbed feet. So every year
during the summer holidays I would go into hospital, have surgeries on both legs. And
then you know all the kids are on holidays and stuff, I was sat there with two legs in
plastic casts for the whole summer. So that was, that was tough.
COMM: After enduring numerous surgeries as
a child, Rich began struggling with arthritis and aged 35, his left knee collapsed.
RICH WILLIS: The first surgeon that I saw,
he said that I would have to have my leg amputated and if my other leg went the same way I’d
have to have that amputated too.
COMM: Two-years later, they found a doctor who could help and Rich was given surgery
to save his legs.
RICH WILLIS: I think what kept me going through my surgeries was the support of my wife Charlie
and the love that she has for me. She has always been there from day one.
CHARLIE WILLIS: We just met across the pool
table basically. Our routines were pitched against each other and just went from there
really, didn’t it?
CHARLIE WILLIS: I’m really, really proud of him. It came a bit unexpectedly, but the
way he sort of committed himself to it; it’s quite inspiring to see how much effort and
determination he is putting into his training.
RICH WILLIS: The examples I’m hoping to set for Cherry is that anything is possible.
Maybe you don’t think you can do, you can do if you give it a try.
COMM: Six-months into his training, and Rich
has exceeded even his own expectations.
RICH WILLIS: The top holder I have held is 110 kilos and bearing in mind I weigh 51 kilos
- on a good day. So, that’s like twice the body weight, at least.
RICH WILLIS: Did I think that I would make
it this far? If you had asked me six-months ago would I be holding a 110 kilos above myself,
the answer would definitely be no. I think the thing that I’m most proud of so far,
is after just five months of training, I went into the English Weightlifting Championships,
doing powerlifting on the bench and I came sixth in the country and England. So, I know
for a fact that now onwards, we can only get better and better.
CHARLIE WILLIS: I think the way that Rich
is going he could definitely reach the Paralympics. I mean if in 6 months he can go from never
having bench pressed at all to lifting a 100 kilos, I think that you know within the next
three and a bit years, that you know he’s got plenty of scope for massive improvements.
CHARLIE WILLIS: I’m immensely proud of him
for his achievements and his attitude and his determination.
RICH WILLIS: I think the motivation for me personally
is doing something that makes, not only myself proud, and particularly my
daughter and family proud but also hopefully maybe inspire other people who maybe think
that they can’t do something and just to give something a go. Even if I don’t make
it to the Paralympics the journey along the way will be a lot further than where I would
have got if I have not tried.