The next morning is comp day and I am up ridiculously early
to get ready, including straightening my hair…. Yes I know how silly and girly
I sound, but some habits dies hard and the ritual of getting ready in the
morning calms me. I even manage to head up to work and work for half an hour to
keep myself busy.
Then shit gets real.
I make the trek back to the other side of town, park my car and
take a few deep breaths to calm myself.
Walking in I am spotted by the tiny blonde from the day
before who greets me by name and with a big hug and instructs me to make my way
all the way in and around the corner where all the girls are.
This is where I discover a group of 12-15 girls stretching
giggling and sounding like any other bunch of girls you might see. Over the top
of everyone there is a call of “its so freaking cold, I feel like going for a
run to warm up” which is followed by silence as all eye fall on the culprit who
looks around at the accusing eyes breaks out in a giant grin and laughs” yeah,
no, I don’t know who I am either!” Which is followed by the squeals of laughter
that you would expect from a group of girls an everyone goes back to their
stretching.
I have found my people!
Or more specifically, my girls!
Or more specifically, my girls!
A bunch of lifters!
A bunch of GIRLS that lift!
A bunch of GIRLS that lift!
From here I manage to settle my nerves.
A little.
The gym is a hive of activity.
Girls stretching, foam rolling.
The last of the weigh ins and rack measurements is complete
.
And now we begin.
The day is explained to us. From the way that we will be
broken down in to three groups as the bunch of “birds” has become the largest
powerlifting competition in South Australia in over 20 years.
Each of the three groups is approximately 10-13 girls and I
discover I am second last in Group B to make my first lift. Group A will begin
warming up about 15 minutes before we
are to scheduled to start, whilst all of the girls take their turns to lift
Group B warms up. When Group B lifts
Group C warms up and so on.
Even so we are told to expect to be here all day.
We are all so told that any “bitchy shit” will result in us
being kicked out, which from a group of this many girls I have to say I expect
to hear at some point.
We are all given a brief explanation as to how powerlifting
works and the rules and regulations regarding commands and red flags etc.
It all seems very complicated and I think I am taking in
about 70% of the total of the information but I figure I will get the general
gist as we go.
I would like to stop here for a moment again and just make
mention of how smoothly the day ran. Both Jac and Fuzzy did a wonderful job of
making sure everyone knew where they should be and when. I know how hard it is
to get all your metaphoric ducks in a metaphoric row, but everyone involved did
a fantastic job with such a large group.
As my group warmed up, Group A began their squats and the
crowd grew, as did my nerves. But so did my appreciation for the way everyone
was so friendly and inclusive. I jumped in a squat rack to warm up with two
girls I had never met before and proceeded to drop it like a squat with them.
Their coach was spotting them as we started to increase our weights and stayed
in the rack to spot me when it was my turn to go through. Everyone was so
supportive.
And then it came our groups turn to lift.
As we went through the lifts got heavier and heavier until
it became my turn.
To be completely honest, I don’t remember my first lift or
any lift thereafter, only that I hit my first two squats with ease, attempted a
new PB and failed on the third (92.5kg is a hell of a lot heavier than my
previous PB of 90kg)
The groups all rolled through their lifts to much cheering
and support from the crowd which had grown to over 100 people.
Whilst warming up for my bench I admitted to Fuzzy that my
biggest fear for my squats had been not going deep enough, whose response was
“dude your arse hit the ground! Don’t you worry about depth!”
Now remembering I hate bench, the distraction of talking
about the squat was welcomed, but eventually I had to lift any way…..
The one thing that sticks in my mind the most for the whole
day was not my PB on my favourite lift, but my bench.
I had set my first attempt at 45kg which was previously my
PB.
My second attempt was 47.5kg which I had never attempted in
powerlifting before.
The difference for those who may not be aware is the lack of
momentum. You are given the command to start which means to lower the bar all
the way to your chest. There is a pause before you are given the command to
“press” to which you must push the bar straight up. If there is any downward
movement this allows you to use momentum and is a no lift.
The support from the crowd when I was really stuck with my
lift was an incredible feeling. The rest of my lifts I was in “the zone” I did
not see hear or feel anything, including the weight that I was moving. I just
did it. But my bench was entirely different.
It was fun!
I felt like I woke up from a dream half way through the lift
and all of a sudden I was hyper aware of the crowd and they were all screaming
at me in support. When I made the lift the cheers gave me goose bumps. To me
this epitomised what the day was about, breaking PB’s to be sure, but also
about the wonderful supportive environment that I have since come to associate
with the powerlifting community.
They may not get the coverage as much as body building, but
they have heart and do it for the love of the sport not for the recognition.
The last lift of the day was my favourite, deadlifts!!!
This was the one lift I felt comfortable and confident with.
My first attempt at 100kg came off the ground with ease and
I gave my second attempt for 107.5kg….. Only twice have I ever lifted more than
105kg and wow did the 107.5kg move so much slower than that 100kg did.
I was left a little worried and apprehensive about
attempting a new PB, but what the hell, the rest of the day I had taken risks
and so far I had pulled off one new PB from 2 attempts…. Let’s make this last
lift count, let’s make it 112.5kg and a new PB. I wasn’t going to go home
wondering if I could have done more.
Before I knew it, it was my turn to lift again.
And the bar moved easier than the 107.5kg!
At the top of the lift the excitement started to build.
By the time I slowly guided the bar back to the ground,
careful not to dump it, I just couldn’t contain my excitement. All the nervous
energy of the day exploded out of me and I jumped around like a kangaroo doing
my happy dance to the cheers of the crowd who had caught my excitement and for
the second time that day I felt the amazing support form a group of people who
were passionate about their sport.
The atmosphere was amazing!
And now I could relax….. But I couldn’t!! I was so damn
happy with my efforts for the day that I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
By this stage of the competition the weights were getting
heavy and when the last group of girls went to lift there were some pretty epic
weights being moved!
A tiny little girl with a cheeky smile that I had been
admiring all day stepped up to the bar.
I had watched this little chick who only weighed 68kg squat
120kg, bench 65kg and now I was excited to see what she could do with her deadlifts.
Her first attempt was a massive 130kg, followed by 140kg and
then lining up for her final lift of 150kg….. A gutsy little chick with a
twinkle in her eye, with a scream pulled a 150kg deadlift! And even managed a
wink and a nod to her coach at the top of the lift, which got a massive roar
from the crowd! Every single person in the gym had a massive smile on their
face! How freaking amazing!?! This was when I think the bug really bit me. I
want to be this strong! This chick is going to go on to do amazing things.
The final lift of the day was from a lovely girl called Bec
that I had had the pleasure of speaking to earlier in the day.
She was a really nice unassuming chick who was incredibly
friendly and I was really excited to see her lift big.
And lift big she did!
The heaviest lift ever attempted by a woman in an Australian
competition!!
As she lined up for her lift a hush fell over the crowd that
a moment ago had been celebrating another competitors new PB.
She stared down the bar, eyed it off and managed to produce
the most amazing lift by a girl I had ever seen, 190kg!!
As she was struggling with the bar at the sticking point in
the lift I found myself caught in the moment with 100 other people all screaming
“LIFT” when she completed the lift and the bar was safely returned to the
ground, what had been a loud cheer erupted in to a deafening roar!
The goose bumps I get even reminiscing about this moment is
indicative of the incredible atmosphere and support I know all the girls felt
that day.
We were all in it together and we all succeeded together.
The final standing for the day were:
3rd Sophia Mazzaferro @ 59.8kg: squat 95kg, bench
50kg and deadlift 135kg
2nd Lucy
Clark @56.9kg: squt 97.5 kg, bench 52.5kg and deadlift 135kg
1st Leana Mulyono (my new inspiration) @ 68.4kg:
squat 120kg, bench 65kg and deadlift 150kg
As I said before, I
officially have the bug!
I can’t wait to lift heavy shit again!
I just want to take one last opportunity to say a massive
THANK YOU to all involved in the running of the event, the spotters, the guys
who worked tirelessly loading and unloading the bars, the refs whoes hearts
broke for every red flag they had to give.
I would like to give a shout out to Bianca Holland (it’s a
Bianca thing) of Holland Performance for her support and advice at the gym when
I was having doubts.
I would also like give a massive thank you to my coach
Mareike Miller for her support and training leading up to the event and for
missing a family lunch to be part of my day. You have been incredible and I can’t
wait to see where we go from here, thank you for believing in me, telling me I
have talent when I doubt myself and my abilities. This is just the beginning!
Also, to Body Workshop Supplements for their support and
belief in me, not only as a burgeoning writer, but also for my potential as an
athlete. I promise you, the best is yet to come!
But the biggest thank you to both Fuzzy for hosting such an
incredible day and to Jac who managed to make a complete stranger feel a part
of something special.
For any of those of you who are wondering what is next for
me, give my Facebook page Strong For A Girl a like and watch me on my next
adventure to 100kg squats, 60kg bench and 120kg deads.
And if you are wondering where I placed, Lucky 13 for me!!