Stettner continues to break new boundaries.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
On June 2-3, 2023, during the 2023 Powerlifting America (AMP) Masters Raw Nationals, 72-year-old competitor Shelly Stettner scored two all-time raw competition personal records (PR). The first milestone was a 117.5-kilogram (259-pound) back squat on her second attempt. The second was a 327.5-kilogram (722-pound) raw total. Stettner competed in the 63-kilogram weight class as a Masters 4 athlete to successfully defend her AMP title from June 2022, earning her sixth straight first-place result since June 2021. To date, Stettner has lost just once in a career that began in late 2019.
Stettner wore a lifting belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves for her squat — which counts as raw in a sanctioned powerlifting environment. Meanwhile, she wore just a lifting belt during her deadlifts. At the time of this article’s publication, without a clip of her bench press, it is unclear what equipment Stettner had adorned for this upper body portion of the competition.
According to Stettner’s page on Open Powerlifting (where the results have not yet been logged at the time of this writing), Stettner’s squat surpasses her previous all-time best by 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds). Her new top raw total is better than her past best by 2.4 kilograms (5.4 pounds).
Here’s an overview of Stettner’s top stats from the 2023 AMP Masters Raw Nationals:
Shelly Stettner (63KG) | 2023 AMP Masters Raw Nationals Top Stats
- Squat — 117.5 kilograms (259 pounds) | All-Time Raw Competition PR
- Bench Press — 67.5 kilograms (148.8 pounds)
- Deadlift — 142.5 kilograms (314.1 pounds)
- Total — 327.5 kilograms (722 pounds) | All-Time Raw Competition PR
This contest performance isn’t the first time Stettner has made headlines of late.
In mid-May 2022, the athlete logged a 106.6-kilogram (235-pound) raw squat triple for three sets for a PR. That training milestone seemed to portend Stettner breaking four raw Masters International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Records at the 2022 IPF World Classic Masters Powerlifting Championships in October of that same year.
Now, Stettner has a seemingly firm place at the top of her sport in both her weight class and usual competition division. Naturally, her Instagram remains rife with various training updates showcasing her strength progress in the gym.
In Stettner’s Instagram post recapping her Masters Nationals performance, the athlete was understandably appreciative of her latest achievements. Her characterization made it seem like this star could’ve lifted even more. That could be a scary development for anyone standing in Stettner’s way in the future.
“Overall, very happy with the results and surprised, too …” Stettner began. “This meet [the 2023 AMP Masters Raw Nationals] was smooth, fast and well-run with hero spotters and loaders too! I love this sport and the powerlifting community.”
Featured image: @shelly_ann_28 on Instagram
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).