When Candy Baroni Mette began to train for, and compete in, powerlifting competitions, it was something few women did. Powerlifting was considered to be a male sport. But Mette, whose journey began 24 years ago with a simple visit to the gym, would go on to become something of a pioneer. She earned gold medals and set records that, due to subsequent changes in weight classes, can no longer be officially challenged.
Now, at age 65, she is still going strong — she intends to compete in the Jacksonville Senior Games in October — and her hard work, dedication and almost inevitable success will surely inspire both women in sports and seniors.
One day in 2000, Mette was at Bailey’s Gym in Jacksonville where she met a group of about six older people and their trainer who were preparing for an upcoming weightlifting competition. Friendships were forged and before long the trainer — known then as “Coach Joe” — told Mette, “I’m going to make you a powerlifter.”
Mette, who had visited the gym to work out with small weights and do some cardio exercise, said no. But Coach Joe was persistent and began to train her with barbells and other equipment. Soon she realized that, if people two decades older than her could compete in the sport, she could do it, too.
Not everyone was convinced this was a good idea.
“People used to say, ‘You’re going to get hurt; you’re going to get hurt,’” she recalled. “But I said, ‘Not if I don’t break form. … It’s not the weight; it’s the form.’”
She stuck with it and, as a member of Florida USA Powerlifting (USAPL) began to compete in events around the state. Florida USAPL is a drug-free association. Members pay an annual fee to belong and are tested for drugs to keep everything honest.
In the 2004 USAPL Southeastern USA Regional Powerlifting Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Mette set new Florida State Powerlifting Records for women in her 165-pound weight class for: squat (242 pounds), bench press (154 pounds), deadlift (297 pounds) and combined total.
When the governing organization changed weight classes in 2014, it retired all of the records previously awarded. So, Mette’s records stand and have been archived.
Mette competed for 14 years. Then, she heard about The Jacksonville Senior Games, an Olympic-style event series for athletes older than 50. It sounded like fun, so she competed in 2014 and 2015, winning gold medals there.
In 2018 and 2019, Mette returned to USAPL competition because the events were to be held in Jacksonville. She earned the gold medal in these, as well.
Then, with the pandemic came the closing of gyms. Mette continued to work out with Olympic-style barbells she had at home. When the gyms reopened, she joined Planet Fitness and LA Fitness in Jacksonville.
When she heard about Forever Fit 50 & Beyond: Jacksonville Senior Games, set for Sept. 27 through Oct. 5, she decided to begin conditioning herself and compete once again.
“This is my first time back in a while, so I’m not really going full force real strong,” she said. “I think it’s just going to get me back mentally and physically and get me motivated.”
To prepare, Mette trains for a couple of hours, three days a week. She still follows the regimen she learned from Coach Joe: work different sets of muscles on different days.
“Maybe some day I’ll get back into the (USAPL) association,” she said. “I don’t think I’m ready just yet. I’m working too much now, and you need to concentrate more on the training. But the Senior Games are fun. I’d like to go, and I’d like to see what I can do.”
