SEGUIN, TX – Alvino Garcia has his mind set on a goal but his body will have to do all the heavy lifting. The 28-year-old Seguin resident hopes to walk away with the title of "Strongman" in a national competition later this month.
It's clear to those around him that he is determined to do it.
Garcia spends about five hours in the gym training, five to six days per week. That's after putting in 12 hour work days, which also involve moving heavy items, at Continental Automotive Systems.
"If someone tells me I can't do something, I will do it," Garcia said.
That philosophy has come in handy throughout his life. According to his parents, Garcia was born with a heart murmur, a condition which required that he spend extra time in the hospital. His mother, who said she initially was concerned about his survival, never imagined just how strong he would become.
Garcia, who weighs in at 175 pounds, routinely lifts weights nearly double that amount. During previous competitions, he has lifted a car, and pushed and pulled a truck.
At five feet four inches tall, he often finds himself competing against contestants who have a height advantage. Garcia, though, makes up for it in drive, according to those around him. In the upcoming event Oct. 28-29 in Iowa, he will be facing more than 30 competitors in his division.
It will be Garcia's third attempt at the Strongman title. During both of his previous attempts, he placed among the top 15 competitors.