a PEOPLE City woman receives prestigious award Story and photo by Bill Hunt <k&2L( /̂ -̂v % ) °\ °1 £ ' % The Intelligencer World power-lifting champion and city resident Sarah Thompson is among 20 people in Eastern Ontario to recently receive an Internation- al Year of the Older Persons award from the province of Ontario. Thompson, 80, is a member of the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame and is the current world power-lifting champion in the 75-kg. class in the Sports for Disabled Association. Thompson has been blind since suffer- ing a stroke in 1978. She is third in the Canada Power-lifting Associa- tion, Women's Masters 75-kg. cate- gory. She has held the title of world champion for the last seven years. On April 29, Thompson trav- elled to Kingston's city hall where she and 19 others were presented with framed certificates for their "outstanding contribution to our community." The certificate is signed by Premier Mike Harris, Gov.-Gen. Hilary Weston and Min- ister of Long-Term Care with responsibility for seniors, Cam Jackson. Thompson works out for two hours, twice a week at the Apollo Barbell Club and credits her coach, Bob Walt, for motivation. "He was the one that actually kept me going. Without Bob I would never had been able to continue going," says Thompson. She got into weight-lift- ing as a means of working out her frustration after losing her sight. She says her husband, Harold, has been very supportive. Many people ask why she does it at her age, but she says age has nothing to do with it. "So I'm 80 years old, big deal. I've got a lot of time left yet." The awards ceremony was for the area between Port Hope and Ottawa, said Thompson. Sarah Thompson with her award.