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Thee Unbreakables Sports Performance Academy flexes its muscles to win powerlifting world crown

Thee Unbreakable Sports Performance Academy won the team championship Oct. 5-8 at Erie. Pa. Thee Unbreakables Academy, located along U.S. 62 west of Salem, competed with 10 members against nearly 400 athletes representing 17 states and seven countries, including South Africa, Israel, Ireland, Russia and Ukraine. Pictured from the left are, Landon Talbert of Crestview High School, first place teenager, bench press; Nate Matthews of Sandusky, Salem Police Department Detective Dave Talbert, first place police, fire, military bench press (303 lbs); the Ohio State 100 percent Raw Chairman Shane Hudson, Lonnie Atkins, heavyweight open and masters champion; Kelly Pavlik, curl submaster champion and fifth place in bench press; Jake Narvet, Salem High School varsity football, junior starter, first place full-powerlifting (bench, squat, dead lift) teenager; and, Paul Sundy, first place in weight class bench press. Team members not pictured are Brandi Sneed of Indiana, dead lift record holder; Shelby Lynn Taylor, Ashtabula, bench press record holder; Bob Nicholas, 74; and Jerry Matthews, first place in curl and bench press. (Submitted photo)

SALEM — Championships are hard to come by.

Thats why Lonnie “TK” Atkins, owner of Thee Unbreakables Sports Performance Academy at 30235 U.S. 62, says, “We will not let anyone outwork us.”

A championship weight lifter in the 100-percent Raw Powerlifting Federation, Atkins moved into the 4,800 square-foot Ryse Sports Performance facility in the spring after Kevin Jamison opened it just over a year ago.

Jamison’s goal was to provide the community with a training gym like no other in the area.

Atkins, the personal trainer for boxing champion Kelly Pavlik, took that creed and fired it into the stratosphere transforming Thee Unbreakables Academy with more exercise stations, more weights, and driven by a more “mentally unlocked” attitude than ever before.

It’s nothing like it was a year ago and just over a week ago Thee Unbreakable’s powerlifting team –including eight men and two women — won the RAMusclePower World Team Championships in the open division in Erie, Pa.

Thee Unbreakables team featured Salem Police Department Detective Dave Talbert, Jake Narvet, a starting junior on the Salem High School football team; Landon Talbert, a Crestview High School wrestler; Shelby Lynn Taylor of Ashtabula, Brandi Sneed from Indiana, Bob Nicholas, 74, of Canton; Nate Matthews, 58, from Sandusky; Paul Sundy, 48; Pavlik from Youngstown; and, Atkins.

The big emphasis of 100-percent Raw Powerlighting is on drug free lifting. Nearly 400 athletes representing 17 states and seven countries, including South Africa, Israel, Ireland, Russia and Ukraine, competed.

“The most important thing about this place is that it is strength and conditioning specific,” Atkins said of his academy.

“There’s nothing Planet Fitness about it. We work out — everybody. Our work ethic is different from anyone.”

“Lonnie is an inspirational guy. He trains my son, Landon, and daughter Lohgan,” Dave Talbert said. “He convinces those kids that they can do anything if they put the work in. He convinced me to do this and I had a ton of reservations. I’ve never lifted competitively or even power lifted at all. It was very different for me.

“The judges were very strict. I completed all three of my lifts. However, two of them were not counted based on technical violations. Overall a great experience surrounded by great people. I was proud to be part of Thee Unbreakables.”

The team championship was earned by combined performances. Dave Talbert took first place in the police, fire and military division with a bench press of 303 lbs. Landon Talbert took first place in the teenage division bench press. Last week, Landon wrestled in the Akron Open, an individual tournament, and won his class.

Narvet, an honor roll student at Salem High School, took first place in full powerlifting in the teenage division — a combination of squat, deadlift and bench press.

The 74-year-old Nicholas, the oldest team member, took first place in the full-power bench press. Matthews, 58, had a bench press of 424 lbs.

There are two women record holders on the team with Taylor and Sneed competing. Taylor, in the 16-17 year-old division, holds the deadlift record at 181 lbs. Sneed, 30, has the paused bench press record at 231 lbs and the deadlift record at 386 lbs.

Narvet has competed in six meets and won medals in national and world levels this year, in the WNPF as well 100-percent RAW federations.

Atkins is the grandson of the late, longtime Salem Councilwoman Connie Alexander. Earlier this year he won the World Natural Powerlifting Federation national title, the 100-percent Raw Drug Free National titles and the 100-percent Raw Drug Free World Super Heavyweight Open title and master’s titles.

“And last but not least, I won the team bench press title,” he said.

lshields@salemnews.net

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