1. What’s the heaviest weight you’ve ever lifted?
107.5kg (approx 17 stone).
2. Who’s the best female power lifter in the world today?
Pound for pound it is Stefanie Cohen from the USA, one of the strongest female powerlifters in history.
3. What are you best at - squat, bench press or deadlift?
Deadlift – it’s the best exercise of all time!
4. What’s been your biggest achievement in the sport so far?
Winning a gold medal at the British Powerlifting Finals in May 2018, at the Bodypower Expo, NEC Birmingham. I’ve been selected to represent Team GB at the European Championships in June and in the World Championships in August. Woop!
5. What is your long-term goal?
To break the British records in all three of the lifts in my age and weight class.
Discipline before power:
After the 2012 London Olympics, I was inspired to start throwing the javelin after a 25 year break since competing as a teenager at school. I joined Crawley Athletics Club but I kept injuring my shoulder and I was advised to take up strength training to help my upper body. The rest is history as the powerlifting became addictive and the weights got heavier and heavier. My body shape changed, my confidence grew and my personal trainers urged me to compete.
You have to be really disciplined as powerlifting isn’t something that can be bought or inherited, it has to be earned. It’s become a way of life for me now and my training sessions are scheduled into my week and I treat them like business meetings, in that I would not cancel them unless there was an emergency. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been, I eat and drink cleanly, I’m rarely ill and every session gives me the power to enhance my strength and mind. I naturally have a small physique, so powerlifting gives me a presence when ordinarily I may be lost in the crowd.
I like challenging myself and trying new things, such as adding more weight to an exercise, and I love that my body at rest is still burning calories. I also love how I feel after a workout, being sore is good!
I’m not good at watching sport as I need to be taking part! I love fast, dynamic movement, like sprinting and squash, powerlifting gives the same adrenalin rush as you always want to beat your PB! Lifting double or treble your body weight is exhilarating.
I would love to inspire women and girls to get more active, particularly women from the Indian sub-continent to take up sports. It’s empowering, confidence building and hugely beneficial for well-being and mental strength. I appreciate it can be challenging due to family and work constraints, but even a jog around the block or attending a HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) class can be a fantastic boost and perfect way to start the day.
