Third year Kent law student and Kent Sport scholar Leigh Wetheridge recently competed at the British Power Lifting Championships finishing second overall. The open class competition was held in Bournemouth and Leigh squatted 155kg and benched 85kg, numbers that would put many to shame in the fitness suite. Leigh also achieved a junior British record deadlift of 185kg as well as for the total weight she lifted in the competition ensuring a great overall performance.
Leigh wrote of her unique take on a trip to the seaside:
“Arriving in Bournemouth, I was competing against 13 other ladies, many of whom have recently competed at the world championships. Looking at the opening lifts of the other ladies was when I became nervous and realised just how close this competition would be. After a new personal best squat and solid bench press, I was in tied third place with my fellow junior competitor Charlie. This meant the deadlift would be the decider.
By this point, the warm-up room was tense and strategic planning of lifts was required. My closest rivals and I were all starting at 170kg and I was the last lifter. On the second lift, Charlie broke the British Junior Deadlift record with 177.5kg, however I followed her with 180kg which broke the record for the second time within a matter of minutes.
The atmosphere was electric with the exchange of records adding to the excitement. For my third deadlift and final lift of the day I went on to increase my record with a successful lift of 185kg. This meant my total was 425kg which was another Junior British Record and put me into second place overall. I was thrilled with the result and it has left me even more determined for next year.”
Leigh trains five times a week in total lifting once a week in ‘The Pit’ (Kent Sport’s Olympic lifting area) under the guidance of Strength and Conditioning Coach Ben Roberts who also has some impressive lift numbers himself. Kent Sport is committed to engaging more women in Strength Training and encourage beginners to attend the Let’s Play ‘girls lifting’ session on a Wednesday afternoon. We also invite all to enquire about fitness advice or appointment services to learn more about lifting safely and incorporating Olympic lifting into your exercise routine.