DOVER — Carole Krassner waited nervously to be called to the stage at a powerlifting event in October in Scituate, Mass.

In the crowded gymnasium, the announcer said: “First up, Carole Krassner, 74 years old, the bar is loaded. Everyone, give her a round of applause!”

The crowd stood and cheered as Krassner walked onto the stage. She positioned herself at the center of a barbell, weighted on each end with neon green heavy metal plates. In position, with feet slightly more than shoulder width apart, she paused, awaiting the judge's call. With the crowd on its feet and her coach by her side, Krassner got the go-ahead to lift. With eyes clenched shut, she applied her grip and pulled up with all her might, but the 170-pound weight didn't budge.

Krassner is not your typical grandmother. She has arthritis in her back and both knees. Doctors have recommended a knee replacement. She has no history of weightlifting and because of asthma, she had never been into fitness until several years ago. Now she lifts competitively and will be trying again for a personal best lift and possibly a new record in her age class next week.

The sport of powerlifting consists of three main exercises: the bench press, squat and Krassner’s favorite, the deadlift. The deadlift requires standing while lifting a loaded barbell up to your hips and then lowering it back to the ground.

“I couldn’t get it off the ground,” she said, remembering the feelings of disappointment at her last competition.

Krassner has been training the last two years with Royce Claflin, of Integrated Fitness in Dover. She initially wanted only to get fit and tone muscle, but with the encouragement of Claflin, Krassner transformed herself into a competitive powerlifter.

“I had assumed they would only want to train young people," Krassner said. "But Royce was committed to helping reach my goals of staying healthy and toning up.”

Claflin, an accomplished bodybuilder and powerlifter, is Krassner’s personal trainer and stretch therapist at Integrated Fitness.

“When she first came in, she wasn't able to bench the bar,” Claflin said. “In the last competition, she benched 60 pounds.”

One fateful day, after a year of fitness training, Claflin overheard a story about Krassner carrying a 90-pound birdbath from place to place in her yard. He encouraged her to give powerlifting a try. She has embraced it.

Claflin believes powerlifting training is beneficial to older people. He said the exercises improve balance, strengthen and tone muscles, and even prevent osteoporosis and help with arthritis. “Powerlifting training carries over to real life,” he said.

Krassner said Claflin has found a way to get maximum effort out of her, explaining, “I don't think I could do it without Royce’s motivation.”

Her training regimen includes a weight workout two days a week at Integrated Fitness on Dover Point Road.

Krassner is 5-foot, 3-inches and weighs 134 pounds. She follows a 1,400 calorie diet with 60 ounces of water daily. She is focused on healthy eating with an emphasis on protein. Her two daily breakfasts include Greek yogurt and oatmeal, followed by three other meals. Most lunches are a salad with turkey breast. Tuna also is recommended, but she doesn't like tuna, or mayonnaise.

For dinners, she eats steak and chicken with a potato and vegetable, but she can also have a hamburger with Swiss cheese. The diet allows her to cheat a little. After a recent craving, she indulged in a chocolate bar with almonds. Her diet was designed by Integrated Fitness owner Jon Arnold, who is also a competitive bodybuilder and powerlifter. Arnold believes powerlifting can be beneficial for people of any age. “Stronger hips, stronger back and a stronger core will help you live longer,” Arnold said.

Krassner was introduced to the trainers at Integrated Fitness through her daughter, Heidi Krassner, a Realtor at REMAX Legacy in Dover. Heidi thinks it’s great that her mother is competing and said she "proves that no matter how old you are, you can set new goals."

Growing up in Boston, with no background in fitness, Krassner could never have predicted she would be lifting competitively. In 1983, Krassner married and moved from Roxbury, Mass., to Dover and began a career as a special education teacher at Woodman Park School and the high school. She had to give up teaching when her husband suffered multiple heart attacks, and she had to help him.

With the help of doctors and medication, he was able to survive 16 years, longer than expected. But because of his heart condition, he was not allowed any heavy lifting. Krassner took on the lifting around the house, carrying air conditioners up and down the stairs each year and relocating that 90-pound bird bath. Krassner’s husband died in 1999.

"I want to be independent," Krassner said. "I don't want to have to call upon neighbors and relatives all the time. I want to do it for myself."

Her independence and strength helped her overcome adversity when her husband was sick and has been recognized by others.

As president of Dover’s Temple Israel, she was awarded the Shemtov Award for her work strengthening the Jewish community in Dover. She currently serves on the temple's board of directors. In addition to her fitness training, volunteering and work with Temple Israel, Krassner is also an accomplished artist specializing in oil painting.

On Saturday, April 25, Krassner will be competing in her third powerlifting competition at Seacoast Sports Club-Great Bay in Newmarket. Krassner attributes the poor performance at her last competition to nerves. She accidentally used an incorrect overhand grip, sapping critical power from her pull. She hopes to lift the 170 pounds and maybe go on to her ultimate deadlift goal of 200 pounds.

If she can do that, in her age group it "will be some sort of world record,” said Claflin.

Krassner said being, “too old,” is not an acceptable excuse to give up on a challenge. “Never be afraid or reluctant to try. If you don't try, you’ll never know and will end up regretting it someday," she said. "A person has nothing to lose by trying and lots to gain.”

Her determination has gotten the attention of Gene Rychlak, founder and president of the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate. RPS is putting on the Newmarket competition. Rychlak has been involved in competitive powerlifting for 33 years. He said Krassner is an inspiration. “She has earned a lot of people’s respect, and my respect, to get up there in front of the judges and crowd and lift,” he said.

Heidi is proud of her mom, saying the competitions are impressive, especially when her mom gets up on stage. "Everyone is so supportive," she said. "Big macho powerlifters are cheering her on. When she gets up to lift, the crowd goes crazy. After her lift, it is like she is surrounded by the paparazzi."