Thanks to his 79-year-old grandfather, Don Cousino, 19-year-old Oregon resident Austin Petroff started weightlifting in fourth grade.

In high school, Petroff said he was “bitten by the bug.” Today, he’s a world record holder.

Petroff owns International Powerlifting Association records for the age 18-19 raw amateur division in the squat (445 pounds), deadlift (505), and total (1,250) at 165 pounds and squat (465) and total (1,300) at the 181 class.

Austin Petroff and grandfather Don Cousino. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)

At the IPA Raw Nationals at the York Barbell Club in Pennsylvania, Petroff was named Lifter of the Meet after getting first place at 165 in the 18-19 division with a 445 squat, 300 bench press, 505 deadlift, and 1,250 total.

He also won first place at the Lexen Xtreme State of Ohio Meet (181), the 13th Annual Powerpalooza (165), and the Lexen Pro-Am International Open (165).

Petroff, who now studies business management at the University of Toledo and holds two jobs, said he seriously got into weightlifting as a sophomore at Clay High. His grandfather took him and a buddy to a high school weightlifting event at Northwood High School.

“I remember my freshman year he took me just to watch. I was like, ‘I’m going to do this next year,’ and then I ended up winning, and then I won it after that,” Petroff said. “This year, obviously, I’m out of high school so I didn’t have Northwood to compete in. So I started looking on the internet for associations that would have meets, and I found one, so I entered it as soon as I could.”

Petroff was a pitcher and catcher for Clay’s baseball team, earning all-district honors. He also participated with Clay's power lifting team, which trains at Maumee Bay Turf Center.

“My junior year I got a couple of friends to go with me. It wasn’t a big turnout — we had about 10 of us. My senior year, I got a hold of P.J. Kapfhammer (of Maumee Bay Turf) and I got him to sponsor us. So, actually we got a whole team put together and we actually took first at the high school regionals. So, it all started back in my sophomore years, competing-wise,” Petroff said.

It began with his grandfather, who is a five-time state champion and lifted with Bob Hoffman. Hoffman founded York Barbell Company in 1932.

Cousino, a Korean War veteran, has a gym set up in his garage about 15 minutes away from Petroff’s home. It was an hour-and-a-half workout three days a week.

“He would pick me up from elementary school and take me to his garage. It all started when he told me I needed some strength and conditioning for baseball,” Petroff said. “Once I started really getting into it, I liked it for what it was.

“Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from fourth to eighth grade, I would go out the school doors at school and he would be there waiting for me in his car to pick me and one my friends up that I was taking to lift. You didn’t even have to ask, you knew that he was there when I needed him. I had tons of friends that went, but they didn’t all go every time, though. Sometimes, they didn’t come back.”

Cousino says Austin was not the first family member who started into weightlifting, but he was the one who stuck with it.

“One of my grandsons started when he was 4-years-old and my son Doug started when he was 5-years-old. Many people said that was too young, but (a medical doctor) said you can start anytime as long as you don’t strain,” Cousino said. “When (Petroff) was a sophomore, I made them do squats. I gave them a routine — we call it the big three — squat, bench and deadlift. Then you had your auxiliary exercises on the side for special muscle groups.”

Petroff’s first amateur meet outside of high school was March 6 in Columbus. He had a total of 1,165 pounds, but soon after was setting world records. Eventually, a lifter from Washington D.C. broke the record, but soon after Petroff got it back.

One of Petroff’s biggest thrills was arriving at York Barbells, where he re-established his records. He was thinking of his grandfather and his relationship with Hoffman.

“It wasn’t easy. Last month at nationals at York Barbell, I remembered when I was little he used to talk about Bob Hoffman. When I walked in the first thing I saw was a big statue of Bob Hoffman, knowing that my grandpa got to lift with him. It was a pretty cool experience,” Petroff said.

When Petroff turns 20, he’ll have a chance to shoot for more records in a different age division, plus other opportunities await him.

“Once I turn 20, I can get pro status, or what’s called elite status, which is where you actually get sponsorships,” Petroff said. “I plan on it. No more cutting weight though. I cut weight to get down to the 165 class, but I won’t do that anymore. That’s too much strain.”

Through Kapfhammer, Maumee Bay Turf has been given him local sponsorship, covering entry fees that can cost $100 or more and other expenses.

“He’s been right there with me. He’s an amazing guy,” Petroff said.

If Petroff turns pro, he hopes Kapfhammer will be there for that, too. He spends part of his time training at the turf center’s gym now.

“I would never lift anywhere besides my grandpa’s, but he asked me to come there one day after high school when we had the power lifting team, and for team meetings,” Petroff said. “So once I went over there, I said, “I’ve got to try it.’ So I gave it a shot. Now I split time going there and going to my grandpas. He’s got everything there.”

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