TOPSFIELD — When she's not at the gym, Dianne MacMillan, 64, is taking care of her horses.
The other day, she moved 20 bales of hay — each weighing about 30 pounds — from a truck to a loft in her barn.
"Someone said, 'You know, you can have that delivered,' and I said 'Yeah, but that wouldn't be exercising," MacMillan said.
Maybe that's why she broke three world records — some of them her own — in the bench press, squat and dead lift at a recent American Powerlifting Association meet. And she had pneumonia at the time.
"She's the strongest woman I know right now," said Mike Baker, her personal trainer at Fitness Crossing in Beverly.
The whole five-person team did well, breaking some records in their age and weight categories and lifting personal bests, and are training for another meet in August. In her division, MacMillan — or D-Mac as she's affectionately known by her teammates — swept away about 80 competitors in all events by lifting.
There's no secret to it, just practice and hard work.
"You train hard, and you train hard, and when you're there you just don't want to give up," she said.
MacMillan bears no resemblance to the muscle-bulging types often associated with the sport. There's no doubt her body is defined, but it's in a way that would appeal more to fashion magazines than "American Gladiator."
She's small and skinny, and surprisingly modest. MacMillan, who competes in the 132- to 148-pound weight category, has been training with Baker for two years, but started powerlifting in September.
"Her natural strength was coming out, and I wanted to hone it in and give her a goal," Baker said.
MacMillan had her own motivation.
"My 45th high school reunion was coming up, and I just wanted some icing on the cake," she said. With private sessions three times a week and one group workout, MacMillan got the results she was seeking.
"It firms everything up," she said. "The butt, everything."
She was an aerobics instructor and marathon runner before she got into lifting, and Baker reassured her she wouldn't bulk up.
"We're not training for size, we're training for strength," Baker said. And strength she has — both inside and out.
"At this age, it's so much fun to be in this condition, to be single, to own my own home, to own horses," she said. "It enables a person to enjoy such a great lifestyle. You don't hesitate to do anything."
It's a message she wants to pass on — especially when it comes to getting involved with lifting.
"Women should not be afraid," she said.
Record-breaking power
Then Now
Bench press 105 lbs 110 lbs
Squat 130 lbs 150 lbs
Dead lift 175 lbs 180 lbs
* For competitors between ages 60-64 weighing between 132-148 pounds in the American Powerlifting Association
