Willard D. Crossen JR, was inducted into WABDL Hall of Fame November 3, 2021 and continuing to compete with his team mates “Team Deadweight”.

Will started competing in June 1993 in Anchorage AK at age 39 in the ADFPA federation after attending a Powerlifting hands on seminar at Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, AK. He competed in 2 full power lifting competitions placing 1st in both with 1320 and 1405 in the events. In June of 1993 he was reassigned to Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, OR and started competing in USPF and APF federations at age 40.

Will competed in 7 competitions in 1994 setting new Oregon State Records. In 1994 Will was selected for U.S. Coast Guard Elite Male Athlete of the Year for 1994 for his powerlifting and records he set. He continued in 1995 to compete and in 8 competitions went to the USPF Nationals in Seattle, WA. He took 2nd with a 1619.7 total with Victor Elliot (USMC) placing 1st with 1624.7. In Oct 1995, Will received an invitation to be a team member on the 1995 IPF Masters World Powerlifting Championships (Master 40-45) 220 class, Oct. 1st – 8th, 1995 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He place 6th out of 18 in the full power competition.

After the IPF Worlds Will competed in 4 more competitions and in 1996 he retired from the Coast Guard as a Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic (E7) in helicopters for 23 years as Search&Rescue Aircrew/Avionics, hoist operator, and instructor on HH3F helicopter and 4 years in the H60 Jayhawk helicopter. Will kept competing with 5 competitions 1996 and 6 in 1997. Will did his 1st WABDL competition in Irving, TX in 1998 in the (40-46) 242 group with a new WA state record of 490.5 bench. In 1999 at the TwinLab WABDL World Bench Press & Deadlift Championships in Pasco, WA., Will benched 538 and a 552,2 for a New WA state and World Record at 40-46 242 class. Will took time off from 1999 to 2000 for injuries and work, and started up again in 2003 with a 501 bench in the 47-53 259 class. In 2005 he did a 556 bench then in 2006 in the 47-53 259 he did 568.7 and 551 at WABDL Worlds in Las Vegas. Will’s best bench was 705 at 275 in 2012 at the Olympia competition.

Will retired from Dept. of Labor&Industries in December 2021 with 21 years and 1 month as an IT.

Team Deadweight members (Willard Crossen III, Alisha Howard, Tom Pennella, Dave Wallentine, James Needles) keep me going as well as the family of lifters, I get to see over the years.