ER doctor from Kitchener, Ont. trying to break world weightlifting record

Dr. Khashayar Farzam, ER and family physician in Kitchener-Waterloo, on Nov. 1, 2023. (Dan Lauckner/CTV Kitchener)

An Ontario doctor is hoping to earn his place in the history books.

Khashayar Farzam, an emergency room doctor at both Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener, Ont., is trying to break a Guinness World Record for lifting the most weight in 30 seconds.

“The current record is 3,480 kilograms,” he said.

Dr. Farzam made the attempt Wednesday afternoon at Lil’s Gym in Kitchener where he trains four or five times a week.

He completed 30 repetitions of 120 kg (or 265 lb.) – two more reps than the current record.

Now he has to wait for verification from Guinness officials.

Dr. Farzam was inspired to try for the record by one of his fellow gym-goers.

“One of our members has a Guinness record, and after finishing a meet, when I was talking to him, he brought it up and just kind of sparked an idea,” he said. “I’m like: ‘Well, who holds the bench press Guinness record?’ I went looking it up and a few minutes in I was like: ‘Oh, I have a shot at that.’”

When asked how he felt after his world record attempt, Dr. Farzam simply said he was “tired.”