MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO -- The 1st Battalion’s drill master’s office is decorated with an arrangement of Marine Corps achievements and memorabilia from his time as a drill instructor.
Recently, new awards for three world-records recognized by the 2007 Amateur Athletic Union Bench, Dead Lift and Push-Pull Championships and the North American Powerlifting Championships were added.
Staff Sgt. Brian Kiraly, drill master, 1st Bn., swept the competition in his respective class during the competition in Vista, Calif., June 23.
In his debut competitive event, Kiraly, a 179-pound native of Perrysburg, Ohio, dead lifted 507 pounds, benched 303 pounds and squatted 402 pounds rendering him this year’s champion in the 181-pound class.
“It’s good to know that hard work pays off,” said Kiraly, a Kosovo veteran. “I was the only Marine competing at the event, so I hope I represented the Marine Corps well.”
Competing in the Military Raw division, which means the competitors are not assisted in any way by performance enhancing drugs or equipment, and the Open Division, where all can participate, Kiraly set three world records during his climb to the top.
His score in the dead lift and squatting portions earned him two records, and his total score of the three events, 1212, earned him another record in powerlifting.
“His win of the event definitely reflects his personality,” said Gunnery Sgt. Juan Gallardo, who used to work with Kiraly. “He is one of those people who, once they put their mind to something, they chase it until it’s perfect. Even as a drill instructor he always tried to have the best platoon in the company.”
As a drill instructor, Kiraly rarely found the time to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes, weight training, due to the demanding recruit training schedule. With his promotion to the billet of drill master and linking with his weight training coach, Kiraly found the time and motivation to start lifting again.
“When we started training he was already a strong guy,” said Jason Golec, Kiraly’s coach. “But I didn’t expect the amount of improvement he made in such short time. In four months his squat increased 100 pounds. Some people can’t make that improvement in several years.”
Kiraly trained six days a week for four months at the depot and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar’s gyms to achieve his level of competition.
“He improved a lot in four months, but I’m excited to see where he’ll been in a couple years,” said Golec.
With his win of the AAU national championships, Kiraly plans to continue training for upcoming competitions in different leagues during events in Las Vegas and Venice Beach Calif. Kiraly will also attend the AAU World Championships in Orlando, Fla., sponsored by the Marine Corps.