Pender County Board of Commissioners honor weightlifting champion Desmond Jordan

BURGAW- On November 20th, the Board of County Commissioners issued a proclamation honoring Pender County resident Desmond Jordan.

Jordan was born and raised in Rocky Point. He went to Pender High School and was a member of the second graduating class of Heide Trask Senior High School. At Trask, Jordan was the first football carrier, 300-yard runner, and the first 1,500-plus-yard runner.

After high school, Jordan went to Winston-Salem State University and succeeded on the football and baseball teams. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, he got a yearlong contract to play for the Bielawa Owls, a professional football team based in Poland.

After his contract, Jordan came home, joined Cape Fear Rugby Club, and was a coach at Pender High School. He opened the House of Gains in 2015, a workout facility in Burgaw, North Carolina.

A truck accident seven years ago left his right arm “completely smashed.” Doctors told him he would never be able to lift weights, let alone powerlift. He wanted to prove them wrong, and he did.

Jordan recently won first place at the United States Powerlifting Association World Championships in Coventry, England, having deadlifted over 800 pounds.

Jordan is an inspiration. Despite the obstacles he overcame them and worked tirelessly to achieve many goals in weightlifting. He holds 17 state records, four national records, and the recent world record.

To read the proclamation, visit.