Master Lifters
(35 Years and Older)

Hailing from upstate New York, Dan contacted the Lost Battalion Hall website saying he  wanted to learn how to Olympic lift. Less than a year later, Dan has already totaled in 3 weightlifting meets.

Dan is naturally strong and has been focusing on his explosive speed and technique. As a result we expect Dan to be a contender in the 2007 American Masters at the Lost Battalion Hall this November.

When not lifting, Dan works as a carpenter. Coach Triolo has been helping Dan on the platform, and Dan will help the coach build the platform at the 2007 Lost Battalion Hall Summer Weightlifting Camp this August.

Jeff started lifting again after a 20 year hiatus. A West Point graduate who retired from the US Army, Jeff resides in Westchester County with his wife and two girls. Jeff was also a nationally ranked hammer thrower in his younger years.

He is an assistant coach and trains with his teammates at the Lost Battalion Hall twice a week under Coach Triolo.

Jeff's has moved down a weight category and is now lifting as a 94 kg lifter.

Good luck Jeff!

When Steve strolled into the gym he never realized he would open up a new chapter of his life: Olympic Lifting.

Diligently training 2-3 times a week under Coach Triolo, Steve has steadily increased his lifts and has totaled in every meet he has entered.

When Steve lifts you better watch out, because the weights go flying.

Barry Rubenstein was one of the early Lost Battalion Hall lifters in the late 1960s and 1970s, and one of the last lifters to be coached by Morris Weissbrot. After being away from the weightlifting scene for over 20 years, he started training in late 2005, rejoined his old team, and entered the 2006 Larry Mintz Open, where he turned a lot of heads with his fabulous technique.

With continued training Barry will be a force to be reckoned with in masters weightlifting.

Keep training Barry!

In the United States today I believe there is no active lifter with such a varied and consistent Olympic weightlifting résumé:

Nationally ranked as a junior, national, and master lifter, a national and world record holder, one of the few existing exponents of the split style clean and snatch, and one of the last lifters standing who was coached by the legendary Joe Mills.

And there is more: I submit that David has lifted in more weightlifting contests for his age than any other lifter. 

Currently, Dave is training for the 2007 American Masters at the Lost Battalion Hall. 

We expect more big lifts from Dave.

One of the strongest master lifters in the world, winner of a silver medal in the 2005 European Masters Weightlifting Championships in Slovakia, Savas is an an inspiration to us all.

In between training Savas assists Coach Joe Triolo with the newer lifters. A proponent of the split style Savas turns heads with his explosive lifting.

Savas is the father of one of our junior lifters, Vicki Kappatos.

Congratulations Savas on your silver medal in the European Championships!

Susan has been training under the watchful eye of Coach Joe Triolo, she has already medalled in several weightlifting meets. Her technique has been improving and we expect her to be a major player on the lifting scene.

During the day Susan is a mild mannered librarian, but at the gym she is super lifter.

Raul has been lifting for almost 40 years. He has been training diligently to prepare for an upcoming meet. We expect some big lifts from Raul.

Raul will be lifting in the 2007 American masters at the Lost Battalion Hall in November. Masters beware.

Keep it up Raul!

Don is our most active master lifter. He is a fixture at all the local meets. The Metropolitan Weightlifting Association named Don as the 2004 Outstanding Male Master Lifter. Don, who has been lifting for over 40 years, received his award at the annual awards dinner held at O'Neil's Restaurant in Maspeth Queens.

Don is also a bona fide NYC Dept of Parks volunteer who helps out the younger lifters.

Way to go Don!

 

Joel was lifting weights when Kennedy was in the White House. Now 45 years later he is still going strong.

When not doing back flips in Central Park, Joel is an assistant coach and helps the younger lifters with their technique.

Joel was is the 2005 Metropolitan Weightlifting Association Outstanding Male Master Lifter.

Congratulations Joel!
 

Popular Lost Battalion Hall Weightlifting Coach Joe Triolo is known throughout the weightlifting world as a no-nonsense and adroit coach. And like old-time Boston Celtics player-coach Bob Cousy, he's not averse to stepping up on the hardwood when his team needs him.

Joe is the coach of several National Champion lifters. His star student, Jessica Carerro, has been training under Coach Joe for less than a year and had qualified for and totaled in the 2007 Senior National Weightlifting Championships.

Although he puts out fires as a NYC Fireman, Joe creates a firestorm on the lifting platform.

Burn baby burn!

Vadim passed away in October 2005. He is sorely missed by his fellow lifters. Vadim was the 2005 USA National Masters Champion.

In Memoriam

Vadim Savchuk

1965-2005

When the revenant lifter Len Bacino walked into the Lost Battalion Hall four years ago, Coach Joe Triolo thought he saw a ghost. Absent from the weightlifting scene for over 20 years, Len was one of the early LBH lifters in the 1970s.

Winner of the 2007 National Masters Championships in Savannah GA, Len is the oldest lifter to qualify for the 2007 Empire State Games, and probably the only athlete to qualify for and compete in the games in both 1977 and 2007 -- 30 years apart.

Len is an example of the adage:

"Be prepared to lift anywhere, anytime, and under any conditions."

Tom Hughes was one of the early LBH lifters in the 1960s. Now residing in New Jersey, Tom is a retired military officer. Active in national and local meets, Tom has achieved several Outstanding Master Lifter awards and has recently won medals in both master and open divisions.

When not lifting, Tom teaches a Web Design course at a trade school in New Jersey.

Tom is a skilled and accomplished lifter and a force to be reckoned with on the lifting platform.

Tom has been fighting cancer recently, but we expect him to make a full recovery and to lift in the American Masters Championships this November at his home away from home, the Lost Battalion Hall.