NEW CASTLE, Pa. - Bessemer's Keith Stich has three world records on his weight-lifting resume', but heads still turn when he rolls his wheelchair into the gym. Paralyzed since birth, he's found a calling in an unlikely sport.

"A lot of people look and they're like, what's this guy doing here, he's in a wheelchair?" said Stich. "I never really thought of myself as inspiring."

Keith Stich is clearly not defined by his set of wheels. Born paralyzed from the mid-chest down, he started lifting weights in college just to lose a few pounds. He found himself drawn to the bench press, and while he had to adjust his form a bit, he made it work.

"I have no leg drive whatsoever. I actually bench higher than the normal person because that's where it's easiest for me. I actually feel it coming down and that's where I can balance the best," said Stich.

Keith started benching with a group of power lifters. That's where the competitive side began to shine through.

"They were in a federation called WABDL. It's World Association of Benchers and Dead Lifters. They had a disabled class. So I decided, what the heck, I'll give it a try," said Stich.

"He was a little leery, and most people are when they begin, about doing that first meet," said weight lifter Guy Marcantino. "Once he did that first meet, you could see he was going to charge forward until he got what he wanted."

Keith didn't originally set out to set any kind of world records, but once he figured out that they were within reach, he went for it.

"I started out in the 165 class and I got a world record. I set that two years ago. Then I actually traveled to Vegas and set a world record. Then I decided to go up a weight class," said Stich.

He set the world record, in that weight class as well, benching 303 pounds for the "181-Disabled One" mark.

Maybe he never really thought of himself as an inspiration, but he certainly has that effect on everyone around him.

"He just inspires me every day to show people how amazing he is and how his disability does not define him at all," said his wife, Kirstie.

"He has no excuses. He comes in and he puts in as much work as anybody if not more," said Marcantino.

"I love lifting weights. It's a blast. The feeling you get when you hit a PR, a personal best, it's amazing," said Stich.

Keith's attitude is amazing in its own right. Pushing his limits and shattering records in the process.