PREM PRAKASH, A mere 147 pounds himself, lifts 276 pounds for a world record in his division for the squat lift category.

MIDDLEBURY — At the age of 65, Prem Prakash is still trying new things — and setting world records in the process. The East Middlebury resident, who is better known for his three decades of teaching yoga in our area, began powerlifting competitively in 2020. It started as a way to spend time with his son, an MMA fighter who was training at home when gyms were closed during the pandemic.

Prem Prakash got hooked. In 2023 he traveled to St. Louis for the International Powerlifting League North American Championships, where he won the gold medal in his division, set four Vermont state records and qualified for the World Championships.

This past summer, he celebrated a birthday, which moved him into the age 65-69 Masters division. Then on Aug. 24, he competed in the Tested Battle at the Capital in Augusta, Maine, where he won his division.

Then, in November, he won another gold medal and set four world records at the International Powerlifting League World Championships in Las Vegas. His openpowerlifting.org stats show that his lifts included squatting 276 pounds for a world record in his division, deadlifting 347 pounds for a world record in his division, and bench-pressing 198 pounds. All that and his personal body weight was recorded at a mere 147.5 pounds that day.