Albion student breaks school record by lifting 605 pounds

With gyms closed, Dominic DiGiulio trained by carrying heavy boulders in his backyard

Photo from Albion Central School: Dominic DiGiulio lifts 605 pounds on Thursday, to break the school record in the dead lift of 585 pounds, which was set by his cousin Jonathan Trembley in 2013.

ALBION – Dominic DiGiulio has had his eyes on breaking a school record in the dead lift for several years. His cousin, Jonathan Trembley, set the record with 585 pounds in 2013.

Dominic, 17, is a senior. It’s been a challenging and somewhat disappointing school year so far for him. No football, no wrestling, no homecoming – yet. The football season might start in March if the state gives it the OK. Dominic is a 230-pound lineman for the Purple Eagles. (Maybe homecoming could happen in the spring. The state hasn’t approved “high risk” winter sports including wrestling and basketball.)

Photos courtesy of Stephanie DiGiulio: Dominic DiGiulio built his strength carrying heavy boulders in his backyard.

Covid-19 has been disruptive for students and the community since last March. Students weren’t allowed in the school after March 13. That included the weight room. Even the local gyms were all closed by the state until late August.

For Dominic, that made it difficult to chase his cousin’s record in the dead lift. Last year, Dominic reached 505 pounds in a lift. At his home, he has about 200 pounds of weights to work with.

He found other ways to stay in shape and build strength. He picked up boulders in his backyard. He did pushups with heavy flat rocks on his back.

When gyms were able to reopen, he joined Studio Fit in Medina. The school district also launched an intramural program in early January with weight lifting an option. Dominic joined the program and last Thursday he set the school’s record in the deadlift at 605 pounds.

His cousin, the previous record holder, called to offer his congratulations.

“That wasn’t just me lifting that weight,” Dominic posted on the school’s Facebook page, when Albion shared a post about him setting the record. “It was my teammates, coaches, teachers, peers, the class of 2021. This school year has been tough on everyone, but covid picked the wrong class to mess with. #Albionstrong”

Dominic is hopeful there can be a return to normalcy at some point this school year, when all of his classmates are in the school building the same time. Right now they are split with a group Monday and Thursday, and another group Tuesday and Friday, with some also fully remote.

Dominic, plans to major in exercise science in college, started getting serious about weightlifting as a freshman. He topped 300 pounds in a lift that year, and has added about 100 pounds each year, passing 400 as a sophomore, 500 as a junior and now 605.

His next goal is 300 kilograms before he turns 18. That would be 661.387 pounds.

“I’m not done,” he said. “I’m just getting started.”

Dominic DiGiulio does a pushup with a rock on his back. He had to improvise when the local gyms were closed from mid-March through late August due to Covid-19 restrictions from the state.