Powerlifters at Gabriel Homes, who recently swept the state powerlifting competition with medals, pulled a 50-ton airplane at the 2025 Dulles Plane Pull.
The 2025 Dulles Plane Pull, a part of an annual festival held by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, raised over $600,000 for Special Olympics Virginia.
Preparing for the 2025 Dulles Plane Pull
Preparing for the premiere event at Dulles Day, the Special Olympics powerlifting team worked with their coaches on building their strength and improving their form. Patrick, a Gabriel Homes resident and Special Olympics powerlifter who started the morning chatting with buddies on his team, went silent with the group when they were called to the tarmac.
Everyone from Special Olympics powerlifting locked their eyes on the plane. They were ready to put their strength to the test.
The Special Olympics powerlifting team stood spread out on opposite sides of the rope. Giving every ounce of muscle on each “one-two-pull,” the 737 started rolling almost immediately.
“We all made lots of grunting sounds when we pulled the plane,” said a laughing Chris, a resident and Special Olympics powerlifter. “After we dropped the rope, we saw a huge crowd clapping for us. All of us were smiling the rest of the day.”
Residents who compete in powerlifting say visiting Dulles International Airport for the plane pull is one of the highlights of the year. Since powerlifting is an individual sport, residents in the same weight brackets often compete against each other. For the plane pull, the powerlifting team combines their strength for the same goal: moving the heavy-duty aircraft.
Since the powerlifting team was the first to pull the plane, the residents saw other spectacles held on Dulles Day.
The residents had up-close looks at the classic car show and saw vintage planes like the F-24 during the afternoon.