TWO INDUCTED INTO AAU STRENGTH SPORTS HOF

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On December 5, 2015, North Carolinians William Hawkins III and Edward Brooks were officially inducted into the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame.

Hawkins and Brooks were among the 2015 class of AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame inductees, but were unable to attend the induction ceremony in Las Vegas at the World Strength Sports Championships in September.  Strength Sports Vice Chairman Hal Pittman made the trip to Greensboro to present Hawkins and Brooks with their plaques, in the presence of their family and friends, formally inducting them into the Hall of Fame before the annual North Carolina AAU business meeting, which was chaired by Sean Kilmartin, North Carolina AAU Governor. 

“Both these men have had awesome careers in the sport of powerlifting up until now,” Pittman said during the ceremony.  “This induction is an honor, and at the same time, this recognition is about what you have accomplished, and what you will accomplish with AAU here in the Tarheel State in the future.” 

Both Hawkins and Brooks have long resumes in the powerlifting world.  Hawkins, from Henderson, NC, is a multi-time national and world powerlifting and bench press champion in raw and equipped powerlifting divisions, who has held both national and world records; he is also the head coach of the Project Lift youth powerlifting team, based in Henderson, which has won national titles for more than 15 years. 

Brooks, from Mebane, NC, is also a multi-time open division national and world powerlifting champion, a multi-time police and fire champion, a world record-holder and international powerlifting referee.  He has also served as a meet director for multiple powerlifting meets since the 1990s.