Meet one of the world's toughest grandmas - an international powerlifting champ who says she looks and feels better than she did 30 years ago.

Mary Duffy, 71, took up gym work outs aged 59 in a bid to lose weight, and soon got hooked on lifting weights.

Now she spends around 20 hours a week pumping iron and exercising, and has more than 30 state and world records to her name.

The pocket rocket can lift more than many men a quarter her age - but is regularly told she's "too old" to be hitting the gym.


But she's proved the doubters wrong, and holds world records for deadlifting 250lb - more than a baby elephant - as well as benching 125lb and squatting 175lb.

The gran-of-one said her up to six hour daily gym sessions means she feels better than she did aged 40.

Mary, from Trumbull in Connecticut, USA, said: “I started seriously going to the gym ten years ago when I realised I’d put on a lot of weight - I remember it hit me when I looked in the mirror and thought ‘that’s not me’.

“I quickly lost weight, and realised the more I trained, the more I enjoyed it - and that’s the way it’s been since then.

“I’m 71, but I’m the fittest I’ve ever been - I look and feel better now than I did when I was 40.