At 50, Merrick chiropractor is still pumping iron

As a teenager, athleticism and strength were never a problem for Richard Seibert, and he proved that by competing on the cross-country and wrestling teams at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville. He also proved it by becoming a six-time national champion weightlifter.

It all started with Seibert’s older brother, Danny, who was a pole-vaulter on Holy Trinity’s track and field team. One day, Danny’s coach told him that he needed to bulk up, so he hit the books to learn about proper workout techniques. Danny took Richard, who was all of 11 or 12 at the time, to the gym to lift weights. From there, the pair discovered the world of Olympic-style weightlifting, a discipline that requires explosive strength and speed, and was part of the first modern Olympic games in Athens in 1896.

Richard Seibert, who recently turned 50, went on to become a member of four international U.S. weightlifting teams and in 1980 finished 15 pounds shy of qualifying for the Olympic games. These days, he no longer competes, but can still be found at the gym,pumping iron. His goal was to lift 300 pounds on his 50th birthday in the clean and jerk. He came within 18 pounds of his goal, which made him think that he might return to competition in the coming years.

Though he still frequents the Synergy Fitness Club on Merrick Avenue, Seibert said that to get back into “competition shape,” he would need to lift weights four to five times a week, while increasing both the weight and the speed that he works out.

Siebert grew up in East Meadow and has called Merrick his home since 1991. He became a licensed chiropractor in 1987, and has his practice on Merrick Avenue, in an office attached to his home. He is a vice president of the Merrick Kiwanis Club, and his wife, Joann, is president of the Merrick Elementary School District Board of Education. Together, they have three children, Allie, 18 Rich, 16, and Matthew, 12.

Seibert said he was reluctant to try Olympic-style weightlifting at first, and probably never would have if not for his brother. “I didn’t want to do it. I thought it was brutally hard work,” he said.