Robert Cortes                      2013

Robert Cortes                    2013

Born July 16th., 1930 in Detroit, Michigan.

First started in weightlifting.
In 1963 at a bodyweight of 148 LBS. -  Pressed 210 LBS., Snatched 185 LBS., Clean & Jerked  250 LBS.
Left weightlifting as they did not have master age groups at the time to take up a new sport called "Powerlifting".

He has competed in over 200 powerlifting contests from 1959 to 2008.

Won 20 World Championships in powerlifting competing in USPF, ADFPA, WABDL, IPF, USAPL, WDFPF, 100% RAW, and AAU.

Won 35 National Championships and set 42 World Records in 5 different federations.

Robert holds the Powerlifting Watch All Time 60 plus age group 148 LB bodyweight  RAW Deadlift of 485 LBS., and RAW Total Record of 1,107 LBS. set at an AAU meet in 1998. (The record still holds as of this date.)

In 1978 at age 48 weighing in at 148 LBS. Robert deadlifted  raw 573.0 LBS. , and squatted a raw 473 LB.  at the USPF Nationals in Los Angles, CA.

At age 52 Robert deadlifted 551 LBS. at a bodyweight of 148 LBS.

He maintained a bodyweight of 148 LBS. from 1959 until the mid 2000's. ( A feat few lifters have done. Robert gave many a lifter a reason to gain weight and move up to another weight class.)  A review of many federation's 148 LB. class master  records will still show the name Robert Cortes listed as the record holder.

At age 78 he competed in  the  first sanctioned satellite meet in which he was linked up over the internet allowing him to compete at a 100% RAW meet in Norfork Virginia from a location in Yorba Linda, California. He set a World Record raw deadlift of 401.0 LBS at 152 LBS. bodyweight at age 78. This would later evolved into 100% RAW's American Cup Challenge.

Robert's last meet was in 2010 at  the young age of 80 weighing 154 LBS. where he set the USPF records in Squat @ 264.6 LBS, Benchpress @ 176.4 LBS, and a Deadlift @ 380.3 LBS. He also set the TOTAL Record @ 821.2 LBS.

Robert is proud to have been a "Drug Free" lifter his entire life.