73-Year-Old Retired Banker Wins Four National Powerlifting Golds

D V Shankar Rao, a 73-year-old retired State Bank of India employee, has become a national powerlifting champion. After undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery in 2012, Rao began focusing on fitness in February 2025 to improve his health following a long career.

Within six months of training at a local gym in Bhadrachalam, Telangana, Rao entered competitive powerlifting. In August 2025, he won gold medals in squat, bench press, and deadlift at a national event in Kozhikode, securing the overall National Masters Classic title. His family now supports his athletic journey, which he describes as a medical miracle.

Editor's note: The brief accurately captures the subject's background, surgery, and national powerlifting achievements.