Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Jim Randall did not want to be sidelined by the track and field injuries he had sustained over the years as an athlete and coach.

After two surgeries to repair extensive damage, he received news he didn’t want to hear. His surgeon said the repairs could not be made a second time, so he would have to be very careful.

No more shot, discus, hammer or javelin meant either letting go of those passions or finding a new one.

As Randall considered his options, he began faithfully performing the exercises he had asked his doctor to prescribe.

After a year and half of rebuilding his strength, he visited his doctor who was astounded at Randall’s ability to move like a 25-year-old.

“It was a longtime comeback full of pain, but I give all the glory to God for getting me to that place,” he said.

Randall discovered that lifting weights would not affect the repairs his surgeon had made. He started out with weights less than a pound and worked up to 25 pounds and then beyond.

He created a small gym in his home where he trains.

May 2019 he became a USA Weightlifting member. He recently competed in and won gold at a USAW sanctioned meet in Chapel Hill to gain qualification honors in the 109+ kilo weight category.

He is set to compete in the 2020 National Masters Olympic Weightlifting Championships April 15-19 in Orlando, Florida, where he will compete with athletes from across the United States.

If he wins a spot and qualifies for the World Masters Olympic Weightlifting Championships, he will return to Orlando to compete in the World Masters Olympic Weightlifting Championships Aug. 28-Sept. 5.

Randall still endures pain, and he acknowledges that his achievements exceed medical science’s expectations.

“The Lord has put in me a burning desire to do this,” he said.