This Girl Can: Cerrie and powerlifting
It all began after months of my fiancé hounding me to join him at a local powerlifting club, I caved! (Anything for a quiet life!)
I dragged myself out of bed on a Sunday morning, at what I then considered an ungodly time. I walked from the car, my stomach in knots, I genuinely thought I was going to be sick. I considered going back home but I knew I needed to face my fears.
I stepped into the gym nervous and in the midst of a panic attack, I managed to make myself look around, and I noticed other women chatting together; this sight in itself was a very pleasant surprise. I never thought women would do powerlifting. I considered it just for big burly men or people taking steroids, how wrong was I?
That day I squatted for the first time ever. My depth was shocking, not even hitting parallel, but the other girls were so supportive. There was a real sense of achievement as the weight I could lift went on the bar, I managed a very ropy 60kg squat with lots of encouragement and praise from my fellow lifters. It took over 8 weeks before I could hit depth in my squat but I never gave up. After that first day I was hooked and went back every week. Now Sunday is my lifting day.
It’s funny how far I have come since that time. In more ways than just strength, lifting has helped me deal with what was once crippling anxiety, it’s helped my find like minded people who support and encourage me not just in lifting, it’s helped me be able to carry all my bags of shopping from the car in one trip which always makes me smile and also I have found a sport where size, shape, height etc doesn’t matter.
As I continued lifting my confidence grew. I made friends with other women at the club we encouraged and supported each other to achieve each week. Then the gym moved and there was more space, more equipment and I did my first ever powerlifting competition with the BDFPA; I was so scared my whole body was shaking (also I had to wear shorts, which didn’t ever happen not even in the height of summer) so I went up for my first lift so nervous it felt like my heart would leap out of my chest, I can’t even remember the weights I lifted but I remember the buzz of so many people cheering me on. So many people have supported me to achieve my goals, since that time I have competed at world level and achieved 2 British records, squat 161kg and deadlift 162.5kg.
The last 18 months I’ve been coached by Callum Barney who has helped me improve my technique and created a team of people I’m lucky enough to call my friends. We will be going to the BDFPA (British Drug Free Powerlifting Association) National Championships in July and, all going to plan, WDFPF (World Drug Free Powerlifting Federation) championships later this year.
