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	<span style="color: rgb(90, 100, 102); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">Co Louth native bagged gold medal for power-lifting</span></p>
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		A MAN who won gold for power-lifting in the World Dwarf Game has said no one should let a disability stand in the way of following your dreams.</p>
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		Thomas McCague, 33, added: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be put off going to the gym because of the way you look, you are there for the same reason as everyone else.&rdquo;</p>
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		He lifted 136kilos or 300lbs to secure gold in the games in Michigan and revealed he only started working out two years ago.</p>
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		Thomas said: &ldquo;In the first 10 months I lost five stone and I would say to people don&rsquo;t let your self-consciousness or disability stop you from going.</p>
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		&ldquo;I went because I was out with friends one day and we decided to walk to the local garage and after just a few hundred metres I was out of breath.</p>
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		&ldquo;I am a big U2 fan and then I couldn&rsquo;t fit into the first U2 T-shirt I had bought.</p>
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		&ldquo;I decided to go to the gym and do something about it. The best thing I did was to come to it on my own.</p>
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		&ldquo;I was losing two to three pounds a week and now my U2 T-shirt is too big for me.&rdquo;</p>
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		In November 2011 Thomas, who lives in Drogheda, Co Louth, went to the Little People Of Ireland seminar and was encouraged to take part in the Dwarf Sports Association Games in the UK last year. He did and won his first gold.</p>
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		It gave him the encouragement to go to the World games in America which only take place every four years.</p>
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		Thomas battled high temperatures and long days in the games and now has his sights set on taking part in the next World games which will be held in Australia.</p>
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		He said: &ldquo;I am taking a break from the power-lifting to give my body a break.</p>
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		&ldquo;I am taking up body building for a while.&rdquo;</p>
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		<a href="http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/world-dwarf-game-champion-weightlifter-2222224">http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/world-dwarf-game-champion-weightlifter-2222224</a></p>
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