The Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship is in sight for one Lurgan woman and despite being fairly new to the sport – she’s going for gold!
Catriona Smyth (34) was first introduced to powerlifting at the tail end of 2022 and since then she’s fallen in love with the direction and drive it’s given her.
After progressing through several competitions she has now qualified to represent Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Powerlifting Federation (NIPF) at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa in October 2024.
As a Pre and Post Natal Fitness Trainer Catriona is no stranger to exercise – or a challenge. For this powerhouse mum-of-two lifting incredibly heavy weights seemed like wee buns!
Speaking to Armagh I of her introduction to the sport, Catriona said: “My nutritionist’s partner is a powerlifting coach and she always made a joke that if I stood still long enough he would snatch me up. I said I’d give it a go and when I said that I didn’t even know what it was!
“I was going to the gym but it was more aesthetic training but nothing really goal driven. I started that about 12 years ago with no real direction but whenever I got into the sport there was a real direction.”
Looking at her current portfolio, you would be forgiven for thinking that Catriona had walked out of the womb a fitness fanatic. But, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
She said: “When I was growing up I never did sport, hated PE and would have died if you asked me to walk somewhere. On sports day I was always sick! So whenever I got into the aesthetics side I really loved that and that’s why I knew I could do powerlifting. Once I found out what it was I knew it was right up my street.”
Beneath the sports shy exterior lay a driven, challenge-hungry persona. It’s need to succeed just had to be fed.
“I would go into the gym and always would be trying to lift as heavy as possible,” added Catriona. “I’m not that girl in the gym looking around. I’m going in looking for what boy is in here, I’m going to beat him even though he didn’t know I was in competition with him!”
And now, having lifted a personal record of 302.5kg across three lifts it’s safe to say there would be many a man she could outlift.
Her success is thanks to a strict seven-day-a-week training regime and nutrition plan created in conjunction with her Performax trainer and nutritionist – and of course a little dedication on her part!
Said Catriona: “It’s one of those things if you don’t have the support network, whether it’s through your family, your friends or your team, you’ll not get it done. With powerlifting you don’t walk into the gym for an hour and you’re done, you’re there two or three hours every single session and I train seven days a week.”
Her qualification for the Commonwealth Championships is reward for her effort and she’s “honoured” to have been given the opportunity – especially as health issues almost cost her the chance.
Catriona explained: “I actually was trying to qualify for nationals this year but had a few health issues and couldn’t compete in May. I never thought I would not get any further this year really. I was thinking maybe at the end of the year I could try for nationals again but it just so happened that the offers for Commonwealth went to the second round and my coach is on the NIPF Commonwealth Management side of things so he was able to fight my corner with one of my previous qualifications. I was lucky.
“But I think if you put things out into the universe it doesn’t matter how they come to you, they will come. You just have to put in the work. I genuinely thought I would get somewhere but I shocked myself with my own manifestation of that one! I though it was going to be national not international this year.
“It’s an honour to be asked and I would never turn it down but you really have to put a bit of work in to make it happen.
“My coach said for my first international competition it would be good to match my previous lift. My goal is more than that but you can’t help it when you’re going into a competition, you want to win. So I’m going for gold!”
The trip to the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships is entirely self-funded and will cost in the region of £3,000. Catriona has started a GoFundMe page to help make her dream of competing a reality.
If you wish to make a contribution to Catriona’s GoFundMe page you can do so here.
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