82-Year-Old Powerlifter Woman Fights Off Intruder, Hands Him Over To Police

An 82-year-old powerlifter woman has set a new example for fitness enthusiasts and those living alone. Willie Murphy, an award-winning bodybuilder, single-handedly fended off an intruder who broke into her house in Rochester, New York on Thursday night.

It was bedtime for Murphy when she heard the man thumping on her door after 11 p.m. asking her to call an ambulance for him.

"He was outside and saying, 'Please call an ambulance,' saying, 'I'm sick, I'm sick," Murphy told CNN-affiliate WHAM.

Instead of calling an ambulance, Murphy alerted the police and stood her ground against the man. The man got angry and broke open the door. Murphy, who works out at the YMCA regularly and can deadlift 225 pounds, wasn't having any of that.

"I'm alone, and I'm old. But guess what, I'm tough," Murphy told WHAM, baring her muscular arms.

Murphy grabbed a table and put up a strong fight against him. The table broke and Murphy used the metal legs to hit the man. When he was finally down on the ground, she jumped on him a few times, then grabbed a bottle of baby shampoo from the kitchen and spilled it over the man's face. She went on to hit him with a broom couple of times to keep him down.

The fight had reached its end by then and the man was trying to leave the house.

"He wants to get the heck out of there. And I'm trying to help him get out of the house, but he's too heavy," she said. "He's dead weight."

When the police arrived, the man was taken to the hospital. They suspected that the man was intoxicated. Murphy did not press charges against the man.

"He's laying down already because I had really did a number on that man," Murphy said.

The first responders were in awe of Murphy's skills. She had a hero's welcome at the YMCA where she retold the story.

"He picked the wrong house to break into," she said.

Murphy had previously secured first place at the World Natural Powerlifting Federation's championships which earned her the title "Lifter of the Year" in 2014.