HE MIGHT be only 122cm tall, but Kevin Gray is a tower of strength.
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The 32-year-old from Bendigo has the powerlifting world in a spin with his amazing feats of strength.
Fresh from establishing a new 59 kilogram class Australian squat record last December, Gray, who tips the scales at only 55kg, has a world record in his sights.
The New Zealand-born pocket dynamo has been lifting weights competitively for little more than six months, and is continuing to raise the bar to levels previously considered unattainable.
His unprecedented 222.5 kilogram squat at the Christmas Strength Shootout in Melbourne bettered the previous Australian record by a remarkable 34.5 kg.
The lift was just 5kg shy of a world record, which Gray hopes to break at an international competition in Sydney in April.
It speaks volumes about his potential and attitude that Gray's squat of four-times his bodyweight did not come as a total surprise to his Castlemaine-based coach Dean Mawby.
The level-one accredited coach and long-time competitor can recall vividly the first time Gray walked through the doors of his Real Strength gym, located at the town's former woollen mill.
He's continued to be amazed ever since.
"I had seen him lift before, so I knew he was very powerful," Mawby said.
"He was a little bit shaky, a little wobbly, so I knew there was little bit of technique that needed to be cleaned up.
"But on that first night of training he put 20kg on his best squat and left all of us in the gym watching open-mouthed."
With a hint of both seriousness and laughter, Mawby said Gray had made a habit of putting others in the gym to shame with his exploits - including his coach.
"Kevin trains hard, he's genetically gifted and he's funny," he said.
"He's shown enormous potential over the last six months, but he has turned that potential into something worthwhile.
"We do have a lot of jokes and laughs, which takes the pressure off Kevin in-between lifting.
"He's a joy to have around for sure."
Gray's introduction to powerlifting came while undertaking CrossFit and boot camp style training as a means of building strength, fitness and physical power.
He had previously dabbled in trail running and cycling, but was eager for a new challenge and "something different".
At his first competiton in June last year, Gray squatted 150kg, benchpressed 80kg and deadlifted 130kg.
His squat numbers in particular have accelerated at an unbelievable rate, to the point he has added 62.5kg to his personal best.
There is an old adage that people who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.
It's origins are unknown, but it is likely its maker had someone like Kevin Gray in mind when it was first coined.
Gray said his undoubted motivation in sport - and life - came from proving people wrong.
"The biggest thing I have always thought is make the most of what you have got. Just do the best you can no matter what," he said.
"It's driven me all the way.
"There's always people who say you can't do this, or you can't do that - I just like to show people you can.
"I've always done that. And all my friends and family, I have tried to inspire to do things out of their comfort zone."
With the Australian record safe in his keeping, Gray now has his sights on the world mark, held by Russian legend Sergey Fedosienko.
The 34-year-old professional lifter has dominated the sport for more than a decade, winning 10 world titles between 2003-15 in weight categories ranging from 52-59kg.
There's always people who say you can't do this, or you can't do that - I just like to show people you can. I've always done that. And all my friends and family, I have tried to inspire to do things out of their comfort zone."
- Kevin Gray
Gray confessed to keeping tabs on what Fedosienko had been doing over the past 12 months, even using him as inspiration to break his 227.5kg world benchmark.
One thing is certain: Gray will head to the international record breakers competition in Sydney full of confidence, in all of his ability, training program and the team behind him.
"I've been wanting something bigger for a long time - this (record) is what I want to do," he said.
"Dean has been a great help. I went to a novice competition and being new I didn't really know what to do in a three-lift comp.
"I did a three-times body weight squat and a couple of weeks late he gave me a call and told me he thought I had the talent, so I came (to Castlemaine).
"The rest is history now."
Gray, who moved to Bendigo three years ago to be with his partner Ashleigh, labelled the prospect of becoming a world record holder as surreal.
Even his greatest fan, who happens to double as his coach, sometimes has to pinch himself as a reminder to how far his mate has come.
"To be talking about world records, even within five years of training is unheard of,” Mawby said.
"He's five kilos off the world record right now. Given the course he's plotted, we think he should have that quite comfortably by April.
“We've seen some lifters who have been in the game a while mention some pretty crazy figures, I think it's possible he can squat 600 pounds one day - 272 kilos - over five times his body weight.”
"And I don't know if there's anyone in the world who can do that."
To be talking about world records, even within five years of training is unheard of.
- Dean Mawby