Shear'Ree

Shear'Ree is a powerlifter from California who is reported by some to have been the first man to bench press 700 pounds raw, meaning without lifting suits, bench shirts or other aids, on 15 November 1982. The claim is contested: James Henderson is officially credited with the first raw 700 pound bench press in 1996, which would put Shear'Ree's lift 14 years earlier if the sources are correct. His bench press of 700.9 pounds is said to have been the first successful attempt of its kind and is regarded by some as a milestone in powerlifting. Before it he trained for several years and benched a personal best of 474 pounds equipped at the 1981 USPF Venice Open, helped by his spotter Ed McGlasson. He later became a coach and mentor, training the first women firefighters in California to pass the Los Angeles City Fire Department physical aptitude test, and he ran outreach programs for schools and young people. He also ran for President of the United States in 1996 as a Republican and founded Shear'Ree Motorsports.