photo by: Courtesy Photo

(Left to right) Bobbi Walden, Kay Walden, Amber Burns and Joe Walden at a powerlifting meet together. Kay Walden, Amber Burn and Joe Walden will compete in the International Powerlifting League World Championships in Las Vegas in November.

When Joe Walden was in high school, he was challenged by his trainer to compete in a powerlifting meet.

The prize was a $100 steak dinner, though Walden got so much more by taking the offer. Nearly 42 years later, Walden has built a prolific resume in the sport. Walden has netted four national championships, three world championships and set over 80 records.

Earlier this month, Walden was inducted into the United States Powerlifting Association Hall of Fame. Walden, 61, was the youngest person in this year’s class to be inducted.

“It’s kind of an individual sport, but it is more of a team sport,” Walden said. “You can’t do it by yourself. The interesting thing with powerlifting is that everybody cheers for everybody. You do the best you can do. If someone can do better, there isn’t much you can do about it.”

photo by: Courtesy Photo

Joe Walden performs a deadlift at the International Powerlifting League national championships earlier in 2016. Walden, 60, of Lawrence is a lecturer in the University of Kansas School of Business.

But Walden, a professor in the School of Business at the University of Kansas, has formed an impressive team. And it has already made an impact on the sport.

In the same weekend Walden was inducted, he also served as a coach for the 2018 Powerlifting National Championship in Las Vegas. The competition drew over 200 lifters from around the United States.

Kay Walden, who is married to Joe Walden, placed first in the women’s masters 67.5 kilogram category. It marked her second consecutive National Championship. Amber Burns, daughter of Joe and Kay, placed third in the open women’s 82.5 kilogram weight class.

All three will compete in the International Powerlifting League World Championships in Las Vegas in November.

(Left to right) Amber Burns, Joe Walden and Kay Walden pose for a photo at Genesis Health Clubs in Lawrence on July 25, 2018. All three plan to compete in the International Powerlifting League World Championships in Las Vegas in November.

“It’s family time together,” Kay Walden, 57, said. “I enjoy the time we spend at meets. We see a lot of the same people. It’s like family.”

Joe Walden first introduced his youngest daughter, Bobbi Walden, to the sport in 2013. Bobbi Walden, who is a captain in the Army and stationed in Fort Bragg, N.C., plans to join the family at the World Championships as a coach.

Burns used to run half-marathons, but dropped that and started attending powerlifting meets in October of 2016, instead. Kay Walden, meanwhile, grew tired of going to competitions to just watch and has been competing in events for the past two years.

“This is something you can see the gains you are making,” Burns said. “At the same time, I am 30 years old and I have two little kids. I need to stay in shape and I need to stay healthy. This does that for me.”

photo by: Courtesy Photo

Amber Burns and Kay Walden (left to right) at the 2018 National Powerlifting Championships in Las Vegas. Walden won her second consecutive World Championship, while Burns placed third in her respective weight class.

At powerlifting meets, each competitor will do squat, bench press and deadlift. Burns and Kay Walden, in particular, have made strides in all three lifts since joining the sport.

Of the three, Burns prefers whatever she is doing the best that day. Burns’ personal-best deadlift is 386 pounds, while hitting 363 on squat and 198 on bench press. Kay Walden enjoys squat and deadlift more, in which she has maxed out at 259 on squat and 309 on deadlift.

Joe Walden’s preference, however, has changed over time. Over 30 years ago, Walden could squat 840 pounds, and now he prefers doing deadlift at meets. For Walden, it is more about staying in shape rather than how much weight he can do.

“There was a guy at the last meet who was 81 years old,” Walden said. “I was thinking that I just want to live until 81. It is something to shoot for. There are a lot of guys that I trained with 30 years ago who broke down, passed away or gave up the sport. I just want to stay respectable at meets.”

Most of all, though, it’s a good way for the family to remain close.

All three lifters train together, spending three nights a week at Genesis Health Clubs in Lawrence. They will do most of their cardio work separately, but they make sure to work on the main lifts together.

This routine has been going on long enough that members of the gym free up any necessary machines when the trio walks into the gym.

“It’s important to have good training partners to keep you honest and humble,” Burns said. “I’d rather find out I’m doing something wrong and fix it before I get to the platform.”