A decade after his first world championship victory, Sean Manders has reclaimed his place at the top, lifting an astonishing 780kg and making South Africa incredibly proud.
Global (20 October 2026) – South Africa, we have a new world champion! And his name is Sean Manders!!! 10 years after standing on top of the world as a powerlifting champion, the South African powerhouse has done it AGAIN, proving that turning 50 doesn’t mean slowing down, giving up or leaving your dreams behind. In fact, Sean has just shown us that your greatest achievements might still be waiting for you… no matter how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.
On Sunday, Sean claimed gold in the Masters 2, 105 kg division at the 2026 IPF World Masters Powerlifting Championships in Reno, USA, adding another world title to an already incredible sporting career. And if winning wasn’t enough, he also broke African records and earned the title of Best Lifter among the Masters 2 men!
Scott MacIntosh from The Yard Athletic shared the incredible news on social media, celebrating a man who has spent years inspiring others through his strength and dedication.
“Huge congratulations to coach Sean Manders, who won the Masters 2, 105 kg class at the IPF World Masters Powerlifting Championships in Reno, USA.
Squat: 305 kg
Bench: 165 kg
Deadlift: 310 kg
Total: 780 kgHe set African records in the deadlift and total, and was named Best Lifter of the Masters 2 men.”
Powerlifting is an intense competition. Athletes compete in three disciplines: the squat, bench press, and deadlift, and their best successful lifts combine into one overall total. Sean lifted a staggering combined 780 kg, 5 kilograms more than the total that earned him his first world championship a decade ago!
In 2016, Sean was 40 when he became the IPF World Powerlifting Champion. It was an extraordinary achievement, the result of years of training and dedication. But instead of continuing to compete, Sean decided to step away from the sport at the very top of his game. He had achieved what most athletes could only dream of, and for the next decade, that chapter of his life appeared to be closed.
Except Sean wasn’t finished… earlier this year, at almost 50, he returned to competitive powerlifting and made an incredible comeback at the South African Powerlifting Championships. He won his national title again, broke records and qualified to represent South Africa on the international stage.
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When Good Things Guy first shared his story in July, Sean was crowdfunding to cover the R85,000 needed to represent South Africa. His campaign raised R31,722, leaving him to cover the remaining costs himself. Despite the financial challenges, he made it to Reno, proudly represented his country… and brought home gold! But the opportunity to support Sean hasn’t ended just because the competition is over. His crowdfunding campaign is still open and South Africans can still contribute towards the costs of his incredible journey. If you’d like to congratulate our newest world champion and help ease the financial burden of representing our country, please consider making a donation. Every contribution, big or small, is a really lekker way to say thank you to an athlete who has made South Africa incredibly proud.
Proudly South African… and PROUD of South Africa. Congrats Sean! Our new world CHAMPION!
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