Gene Jones waited until he was 68 years old to start competitive weightlifting.

Now 79, the Vinton resident and former Marine Corps drill sergeant says he has no plans to stop.

He's just making up for lost time.

When Jones first stepped foot in Vinton's Lancerlot Sports Complex 11 years ago, he was overweight, out of shape and unable to bench-press more than 80 pounds.

"I said, 'You know, I'm on heart medicine. I can't walk up a flight of stairs without stopping and resting. Why don't I do something about it?' " Jones recalled.

Roll the tape forward a little more than a decade and the retired electrical designer is an avid exercise enthusiast, a certified strength and flexibility trainer and a world powerlifting champion.

Jones' most recent achievement came at the Southern Powerlifting Federation competition in Gatlinburg, Tenn., on Oct. 6. Not only did he win first place in the 75- to 79-year-old age group, he tied his world record of 310 pounds with his raw bench press.

Jones cares little that he was the only contestant in his age group and thus won his title by default.

After all, he bench-pressed more than the champions in the 70- to 74-year-old group and the 65- to 69-year-old division.

"I don't worry about that, because I still beat people who are younger than me," he said.

Over the past 11 years, Jones has competed in about 15 weightlifting events from Pennsylvania to Tennessee with considerable success. One of the highlights was an International Powerlifting Association championship two years ago in York, Pa. There, Jones bench-pressed 310, squatted 185 and dead lifted 340 for an 835-pound total.

He credits such performances to regular practice. He lifts 90 minutes three times a week at the Lancerlot Sports Complex, which is a block from his home. His trainer, John Hofnagle, has worked with Jones for almost four years. Hofnagle said he has witnessed stark improvements in Jones' bench-pressing skills and overall body strength in their time together.

"For his age, he's unbelievable," said Hofnagle, who lives in Northeast Roanoke. "He's an inspiration to me to keep going."

When Jones isn't being trained, he's often training others.

He teaches interactive strength and flexibility classes three days a week at Roanoke County's Brambleton Center.

In between sessions and lessons, he tells groups about his dedication to fitness -- which he says he basically neglected from age 21 to 68.

"A lot of people exercise because their doctor tells them to exercise or they're supposed to exercise," said H.R. Markley, a weight trainer at Lancerlot. "He seems to actually enjoy it. He enjoys the company, the fellowship he gets from other people that work out here. And he just seems happy about it."

Part of Jones' happiness is a result of his newfound good health. Diagnosed with colon cancer in May 2003, he was declared cancer-free by his oncologist about two years ago.

When Jones travels with his wife, Doris, on vacation, he usually brings a dumbbell for the road -- just in case he can't find a gym.

"If I miss a week of working out, I get real mad at myself," he said.