Chiropractor Edward C. Camacho, an associate at the Plaza Chiropractic Center in Old Bridge, won first place in the 2015 Moorestown Fall Open Weightlifting Championships, held at the Moorestown Weightlifting Club on Nov. 7. PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL CHELAK OLD BRIDGE — A local chiropractor has proven what a little strength can do.
Edward C. Camacho, an associate at the Plaza Chiropractic Center in Old Bridge, earned first place honors at the 2015 Moorestown Fall Open Weightlifting Championships held Nov. 7 at the Moorestown Weightlifting Club.
Competing in the 187-pound weight class, Camacho’s lifts of 112 kilograms (247 pounds) in the snatch and 140 kg (309 pounds) in the clean and jerk combined for 252 kg (555 pounds) to produce the highest total in the competition.
A specialist in rehabilitative techniques for overcoming sports injuries, improving overall wellness and increasing sports performances, Camacho has been a competitive weightlifter since 2010.
“Weightlifting changed my life,” he said. “I’ve learned many lessons that have enabled me to help others — the ways the body moves and works, the mental responses to challenge and pain and the nutritional requirements for living and performing at peak levels.”
Camacho attended Pennsylvania State University, where he spent a week in the hospital during his senior year upon being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Participating in sports throughout his young life, Camacho then turned to competitive weightlifting as an outlet for battling the disease and improving his overall health.
Exactly one year after the date of his diagnosis, he won his first powerlifting competition and qualified for the Collegiate Nationals, where he finished in the top 10 in the country.
“As a chiropractic professional utilizing my athletic and diabetic background, my goal is to help patients maximize their potential in every possible way no matter their pursuit,” he said.
Since graduating from Penn State, Camacho has gone on to win the New Jersey State Powerlifting Championships, while breaking three state records, in addition to two Florida State Powerlifting Championships, also shattering four state records.
He began participating in Olympic weightlifting competitions in 2012.
Prior to joining the Plaza Chiropractic Center in 2014, Camacho served as a student chiropractor at Palmer Chiropractic College in Port Orange, Florida. While there, he worked with elite track and field athletes and competitive weightlifters.
He personally trained with and aided the most decorated high school weightlifting program in the state of Florida, Spruce Creek. Several of his patients are now highly successful nationally and internationally ranked athletes working to represent their respective countries in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“I’ve been fortunate to find my passions,” explains Dr. Camacho, who now trains at Incessant Fitness in East Brunswick. “Competitive weightlifting and chiropractic care are focal points in my life. One adds balance, and one enables me to help others through my experiences and medical training.
“Diabetes was a minor setback that pushed me to excel in other areas. My lesson to others is to never give up. Everyone falls at some point. The important part is finding the will and proper support to get back up.”
Camacho is trained in the chiropractic techniques necessary for aligning and balancing the pelvis, spine and extremities.
He is also proficient in nutritional interventions and the rehabilitation exercises needed to achieve overall wellness and enhance sports performance.
He works under the guidance of Dr. Ira A. Shapiro, a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic Team medical staff.
For more information on the Plaza Chiropractic Center in Old Bridge, visit www.plazachiro.com or call 732-723-0023.