17-year old Maksim Shebunyaev (Russia) has been certified on the Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper, proving his world-class grip strength and thereby earning admission to one of the strength world’s most elite clubs.

Shebunyaev, who 190 cm (about 6' 3") tall and weighs 84 kg (185 lb.), told IronMind, “I was born in the village of Kalinovka, to an ordinary family where no one played sports. From the ages of two to eight, I lived in the village with my grandmother. Later, around age 13, when I moved to the city, I gradually became interested in sports. I discovered resistance bands [grippers] a little later, around 15 or 16. I don't have any interesting history related to sports, and my path hasn't been difficult. I just love [grippers].”

Learning about CoC grippers on on YouTube, Shebunyaev said, “My first IronMind [gripper] was CoC3, which I closed a few weeks later.

“I train my grip once a week. Usually with [grippers] and arm-lifting equipment. My hobby is grip training and arm wrestling, where grip allows you to better control your opponent.

“I am currently studying to become a college physical education teacher. Although I have only recently started practicing my grip, I have already achieved a strength of 144.7 kg on a dynamometer and hope to obtain my CoC3.5 certification soon,” said Shebunyaev. 

Here’s a link to the video of  Maksim Shebunyaev’s official attempt to close the Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper.