Weight Is Over For Northumbria Lifters

A team of Northumbria students are looking to give the University a timely lift as they head to South Africa this weekend.

Five members of 2017’s Sports Club of the Year are heading to Potchefstroom to compete in the second World University Powerlifting Cup.

And coach Matt Gill is adamant that the chance to compete at the sport’s top table will only boost the long-term prospects of a fast-rising club.

“The club is going from strength to strength and we’re doing everything we can to grow it,” said the third year Sports Science student.

“We’ve been awarded more strength and conditioning hours in Sport Central as a result of our progress and we are focused on exposing more people to the benefits of powerlifting. “Even though we already have a number of female members we want to continue to break down the perception that powerlifting is only for men.”

Gill has switched his primary focus to coaching and scooped the 2017 Coach Of The Year award at May’s Sports Ball.

Northumbria’s powerlifting club was only set up last summer but 12 months later and it is 44 members strong - with five heading to South Africa.

Gill will oversee the progress of Mark Faulkner (-120kg), Lewis Keightley-Smith (-105kg), Simon Chan (-93kg), Lewis Wilkinson (-83kg) and Arya Amman (-83kg) next week.

“I knew that there were other students interested in powerlifting so I set the club up in 2016 and took it from there,” he added.

“In the end we had 44 members and we became the third biggest club at Northumbria! My main focus is still lifting and coaching others to lift - some for the World Championships and some for other competitions. It may be the end of the academic year but it’s still a busy time for the club.

“The selection process for the Worlds started off at the British University Championships in Northampton in March. Any university could enter and male and a female team.

“The university with the top five Wilks Coefficient scores (a means of measuring powerlifters’ relative strength whatever their weight) was selected for the World Championships.”

Gill is keen to use Northumbria powerlifting’s increased profile to preach the positive aspects of a sport often criticised for putting undue pressure on athletes.

“I started powerlifting about five years ago,” he added. “It was my way of getting over a spinal injury. There’s a misconception that lifting isn’t good for you and can actually cause injuries. For me it’s had the exact opposite effect - it’s actually strengthened my back and got me back to where I want to be.”