Stratford gran set to represent Great Britain in powerlifting championships
A STRATFORD gran has scooped a powerlifting medal, just weeks after taking up the sport for fun.
Martine Barons took the top spot in her category at the Amateur British Powerlifting Union qualifier championships in North Wales last week.
Thanks to her surprise win, she’s been asked to represent Great Britain at the European championships in Finland in June, as well as the British Championships in Manchester in July.
If she does well there, she could have a shot at being selected to represent the UK at the world championships in Ireland in August.
Martine, 63, discovered her hidden talent for deadlifting after going along to a fun free weights session at PureGym in the Maybird, with work colleague Rasseeda Virgo.
Rasseeda, who’s also a personal trainer, quickly realised how talented she was and eventually persuaded her to enter the competition in Rhyl.
That meant having to master two other disciplines - the bench press and squat – but Martine now boasts a 50kg bench press, deadlift of 125kg and an 80kg squat.
An academic researcher in Warwick University’s department of statistics, Martine is married to Chris, who’s a stonemason for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
The couple have three sons in their 30s, and four grandchildren aged six months to 16.
PureGym manager Jade Madge, who gave Martine her induction, added: "At her induction, she set her goal to get stronger and it's great to support her do that."
Martine, who gained a PhD at the age of 52 and is vice president of the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications and on an advisory board to the government, said: “I’m still a bit gobsmacked about winning a medal at Rhyl, because I’d never entered a competition before.
“I made some mistakes, but you have to get one good lift in each category and I managed to do that.
“The camaraderie at the event was amazing, with everyone rooting for each other.”
To get in even better shape for the European championships in two months’ time, Martine is working out with weights at the gym three times a week.
She believes powerlifting is a great way for women over 60 to keep fit and healthy and boost their bone density, so is urging others to have a go.
She added: “I’d never thought of myself as a strong person before and was never any good at sports at school.
“You never know what you can do until you try, and from a health point of view - particularly for older women – powerlifting is really good for your health.
“Think of it as training for your ‘old lady body’ – it’ll mean you can get upstairs and look after yourself for longer.”
[Box out:]
Power lifters must do three types of lift, when competing in major championships:
Squat lift - the weight bar is lifted onto the back of the shoulders.
Bench press - the powerlifter lies on a bench and pushes up the weight bar.
Deadlift- the bar is lifted from the floor to waist height.
