A Naugatuck police officer not only won the title of "America's Strongest Man," but he did so following a spinal injury.

Officer Derek Poundstone clinched the title by taking first place with a record-breaking 30-point lead over second place.

Poundstone, a 25-year-old native of Waterbury, severely damaged his back while trying to lift 805 pounds from the ground last October.

"I got an MRI the following day and I got a call from the doctor who said he was really concerned about my condition. I saw a specialist that following Monday, then another on Tuesday, one a neural surgeon and the other a spinal specialist. Both said I would never be able to lift anything heavy again," he said in a written statement obtained by Eyewitness News.

Poundstone received medical advice from doctors specializing in the treatment of elite athletes.

"I knew I could overcome this," he said.

Derek is scheduled to travel to South Korea later this year to represent the United States at the World Championships.

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