KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Romia Hall Jr.'s kids call him "Superman." He uses his super strength at his job as a machine operator at Alphapointe as well as in his free time with powerlifting.
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Hall recently reached a personal best, bench pressing 370 pounds.
"It's scary," Hall said. "It is scary, but I just kept pushing through it."
It's his mental strength that helped him through the past decade after a life changing event when he was stabbed.
"It went through my left eye, cut my optic nerve in my right eye and punctured the right frontal lobe in my brains," Hall said. "So, I went from being able to see to complete darkness all in an instance."
Hall recalls the first few months after he lost his sight. He said it was challenging.
"I'm falling over stuff and running into walls," Hall said. "But after about six months, I noticed that my senses were heightened."
Hall explained his hearing strengthened, and he's able to notice little things, like if his kids are standing near him.
"I still see them [kids] smile. I just do it through hearing," Hall said.
Alphapointe allowed him to get back into the workforce and participate in activities like powerlifting. The organization helps and employs those who are visually impaired.
"If you can get under a heavy bar and lift it over and over, it's not only increasing you physically, it's increasing you mentally also that, the struggles in life you get through it," Hall said. "If I wasn't mentally strong, and if God didn't get me through it, I would not be here today."
Whether it's working or lifting, Hall's motto he came up with runs through his head.
"They say the sky's the limit, but when I look up, I don't see the sky, so there's no limit to what I can do," Hall said.
It's a reminder that's helping him toward a new personal best and an American record in the bench press.
"My plan is to do 400 for my 40th birthday," Hall said.
He's constantly proving to his kids just how much "Superman" can do.
"They needed to see that their dad is still strong and that I would get through it and they've seen me overcome it all," Hall said. "If I can do it, you can do it."
