47 | From First-Time Gym-Goer to Record-Setting Powerlifter After 60

RenewHer · Sep 23, 2026 · 32m

What if the thing you never imagined yourself doing turned out to be something you were incredibly good at?

At 58, Brenda Dockendorf walked into a gym for the first time. She had never considered herself athletic and simply wanted to improve her health. What began as a 21-day fitness challenge became something she never could have predicted.

At 60, Brenda decided to try powerlifting. Today, at 64, she holds 10 Minnesota state records and is working toward an American bench press record.

But this conversation is about much more than lifting weights.

Brenda shares how she transformed her…