RUMFORD — Richard G. Austin, 81, will receive an outstanding achievement award from the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in Augusta in its induction ceremony next May, according to Executive Director Thaxter Trafton.

Trafton said that earlier in the week Maine Sports Hall of Fame President Richard Whitmore nominated Austin for the achievement during a board meeting.

“I mean, it’s pretty evident why he’s being honored,” Trafton said. “The guy’s won world championships and is breaking world records in his 80s. He’s an incredible person with a good spirit.”

Hall of Fame secretary Stuart Infantine said there’s no official nomination process for an outstanding achievement award.

“This specific award is predicated on what Mr. Austin did in Las Vegas,” Infantine said, referring to last month, when Austin competed at the World Bench Press and Dead Lift Championships in Las Vegas. He won his eighth world title in the 220-pound class Master Division, for powerlifters ranging in age from 80 to 84. During the same competition, he also broke the world record for bench pressing in his age category by benching 363 pounds.

“There’s nobody in the state who’s doing what Austin does,” Infantine said, before adding, “Actually I don’t think there’s anyone in the country who’s doing what he’s doing.”

Whitmore agreed and said Austin is “a pioneer in his sport” and has “remained a point of excellence throughout his career.”

“It was difficult for me to envision the level of success he’s had until he told me he’s never not come in first,” Whitmore said. “I mean, I don’t know if there’s anybody in any sport who can claim that besides him.”

Austin, who is on the Board of Directors for the Hall of Fame, said he takes it in stride when he receives such recognition.

“Look, I appreciate them thinking of me that way, don’t get me wrong,” Austin said. “I’m honored, but for me it’s not about the awards. It’s all about the competition.”

Austin later said he’s been fortunate enough to “win, win, win, win” and that by now “the awards feel second nature.”

“The board asked me to write down all of the achievements and awards I’ve been given over the years,” Austin said, “and I wrote down the ones I could think of, but honestly, I just can’t remember them all. I’ve been doing this all my life. There’s too many.”

Austin is set to have a busy year in 2013. Besides receiving the outstanding achievement award in May, he will be competing Feb. 2 in the Winter Classic in Portland, and in June he’ll be competing to qualify for nationals.

“The national competition is what I’m exclusively training for right now,” Austin said. “I’m planning to bench press 402 pounds. I’ll be so far ahead of the competition. No one’s even touching 300 pounds right now in my group. If I didn’t lift weights and somebody told me someone in their 80s was lifting over 400 pounds, I wouldn’t believe it.”

While Austin said it’s all about the competition for him, Infantine and the rest of the Maine Sports Hall of Fame are adamant that Austin receive the recognition.

“Richard has a long history with us at the Maine Sports Hall of Fame,” Infantine said. “He deserves to be recognized for what he’s done and is still doing.”

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