Not too many people can claim they’re one of the strongest people in the world in their age and weight class.
New Salem’s Jack Reynolds is one of them.
Reynolds, a 16-year-old junior at Franklin County Technical School, had a natural talent as a weight lifter, beginning when he was 11. In 2022 he entered into a powerlifting contest and won the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate in Natick.
As it turns out, that was just the beginning. Reynolds has dedicated himself to the sport, and this past spring qualified for USA Powerlifting Nationals in Scottsdale, Ariz. Competing in the Under-18 163-pound-and-under weight class, Reynolds put up lifts of 475 pounds in the squat, 342 on the bench and 530 in the deadlift, which earned him first place and a spot in the 2023 World Sub-Junior Classic Championship in Cluj Napoca, Romania this past summer.
Competing against the 22 strongest competitors in his class in the world, Reynolds performed well and walked away with a third-place finish.
“It was a lot of pressure going there after winning nationals,” Reynolds said of the event in Romania. “I knew I had a good chance and that I could do well. It was crazy to experience all of it. I went in unsure but pretty confident I would have a good shot. It worked out.”
It all came down to the deadlift at the World Championships for Reynolds.
He improved on his squat by reaching 485 pounds while besting his bench to 355. His bench of 342 at nationals was a record in his age and weight class.
Going into the deadlift, Reynolds set the weight at 540 pounds, 10 pounds more than what he did in Arizona. The rules give you three tries to pull the weight, and if you fail to do so, you are disqualified. Reynolds was unable to get the 540 pound bar up the first two attempts but dug deep and completed the lift on his third and final try to help secure the third-place finish.
“The deadlift didn’t go my way,” Reynolds said. “If I missed it the third time I was going to be disqualified. It was a lot of pressure. All the work I put in came down to one lift.”
The 16-year-old has tried to put into perspective the accomplishments he’s already had in the sport, but he said he still isn’t satisfied and will continue to work to get better.
“I’ve been thinking about that for a while,” Reynolds said. “Even just getting here was special. My goal was to do well. After getting third everyone keeps asking me why I’m upset and not satisfied. It’s because I wanted to win. Now I’m going to work to get back there and try to win it.”
Reynolds has also enjoyed the fruits of his labor. He got to spend time in Arizona before nationals and spent two weeks in Romania with his family this summer before the world championships.
He also noted it was surreal to be competing in the same tournament that many of his idols were also in.
“It was so different over there,” Reynolds said of Romania. “It was a complete culture shock. I liked it a lot. It was a great experience. I talked to a lot of people there and saw people I recognized from social media. It was cool to be in the same environment with people who are as good or better than me. It was great to be there and experience all of it.”
Reynolds isn’t the type of person to rest on his laurels. He’s back training five-to-six days a week, spending two-to-three hours in the gym working.
He’s ready to make another run at nationals and worlds in 2024 — nationals is set to take place in Texas next May while worlds will be in Malta next summer.
“I have a coach that helps me a lot,” Reynolds said. “Since I’ve been back I’ve had the best training I’ve ever had. I’m not going to compete until nationals. It’s a long offseason to get ready. I’m way more motivated now. I’m almost angry with what happened [at worlds]. I’ll have another shot and am working hard.”