By C1 Staff
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A corrections officer with the Elkhart County Jail won the International Power-lifting Championship in South Africa.
According to WNDU, 24-year-old Thomas “TD” Davis set a bench press world record with a 622.5-pound lift.
The 6’3, 410 pound CO ultimately wants to take his strength all the way to the Olympics.
“We got in the groove and I got on the bench and it was nothing and I blew it up,” Davis told the publication. “I see the green lights and I was like, OK we made it home. I did what I wanted to do. I got the gold for the team and a world record. I did what I wanted to do and that’s the best feeling ever.”
Davis’ co-workers praised the officer not just for his strength, but his character. Davis overcame adversity many times in his life, including the passing of his father at an early age and a tragic drowning accident that resulted in the loss of a young boy Davis had helped raise.
A co-worker, John Perry, spoke with WNDU of Davis’ approach to corrections. “His size is intimidating but he’s so calm that he keeps things under control. When he walks in, things are calm. They [the inmates] know he’s going to treat them fairly.”