‘Need a burger after this': Plymouth man training to repeat win in international lifting competition
Robert Cutts spent more than 30 years in law enforcement, and later this month, the weightlifter will again be competing in the World Police and Fire Games.
He won the top spot in 2015 in powerlifting.
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When it comes to weights, more is better for Cutts.
As he warmed up at a Plymouth gym, he quickly jumped from 225 pounds to 315 pounds as he loosened up.
'I like challenging myself. I've worked 31 years doing this and God's given me a gift, and I'm going to continue using it so they're going to have to drag me off the platform.'
That platform will be in Birmingham, Alabama, where the World Police and Fire Games will be held.
'It's an Olympic-style competition, and even some of these first responders are actually Olympians, so it's very competitive.
Cutts will be one of eight thousand first responders competing in 62 different sports. 65 countries will be represented.
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Power weightlifting didn't become a passion for Cutts until he was in his 30s.
When he first started, Cutts weighed 234 pounds. He says his coach took him to the buffet at the Golden Corral twice a day, and his weight jumped to 400 pounds in about 2 years.
His personal best came in 2000 when he lifted 573 pounds in a competition held in Brockton.
Cutts grew up in Harwich and still has roots on Cape Cod.
When he won his gold medal in 2015, he didn't keep it.
He donated it to the weight room at the Yarmouth Police Department in honor of fallen Sergeant Sean Gannon.
'It was just in the spirit of being a first responder and knowing that this man put his life on the line. The medal means really nothing, but it was just a gesture to say, you know, yeah, when I'm on that platform, I think of the lost first responders.'
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At 65, Cutts has no plans to lighten his load.
He donates his time at local schools, trying to get young people interested in lifting.
'On some team sports, some kids get very frustrated that they don't play, but in power lifting, it doesn't matter if your kid lifts 50 or 1000. As a parent, you're going to see them lift, and people come to see you lift. They don't see you miss the shot. It's very encouraging.'
He feels the sport has changed his life and hopes it can have the same effect on the next generation.
For now, after a good workout, Cutts is ready to move on to phase II of his training.
'I'm going to need a burger after this, maybe some Popeyes,' he says with a chuckle.
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Participants at these games will compete in traditional sports like basketball, cycling, softball, and golf.
They also have the option to test their skills as first responders. There's a police pistol competition as well as a battle to be named the ultimate firefighter.
The games kick off on June 27.
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