There are no weight categories in CrossFit.  Often this favours slightly smaller athletes but when it comes to heavy weightlifting, the advantage goes to the bigger, heavier athletes.

Bruiser is a great lifter.  Despite her petite build, she out-lifts most of our Empower women and many of the men.  But diminutive as she is, she is at a distinct disadvantage when weightlifting comes up in competition.

So it was a revelation to her when Weightlifting coach Mike Cartwright pointed out that her lifts are competitive with other women her size.  In fact, she won her first ever Weightlifting competition, the BC Master’s Championships.  Not only did she win, but her total ranked her 9th place worldwide and earned her an invitation to the 2019 Weightlifting World Championships in Montreal!

Yesterday, Bruiser stepped onto the world stage representing Empower and Canada at the World Championships.  There she snatched 54kg (118.8lbs) and clean & jerked 72kg (158.4lbs).  This is a huge accomplishment seeing as she does not come from a Weightlifting back ground and this was only her second Weightlifting competition!  We are very proud of her for stepping up to the challenge.  Way to go Bruiser!!!