WATCH: Do you even lift? Local women on path to Olympic weightlifting

Wednesday 16 May 2018

A team of 10 wonder women aged 14 to 33 are pumping iron and dropping it like it's 'squat' in a power-packed bid to become Jersey's first ever team of Olympic female weightlifters.

The team might have only recently started lifting weights, but already have their sights set on the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

They were brought together as part of the 'Power to Podium' Programme of the Jersey Sport Foundation (JSF), a charity founded in April 2014 to assist the development of emerging and established athletes in Jersey.

The aim of the programme is to prove that Jersey can produce athletes able to compete at high level with a good coaching environment and the right system behind the athletes. There is only one objective in mind: reaching the finals of the Commonwealth Games in four years. To give the potential athletes the best possible odds, the JSF chose to focus on weightlifting, a sport that has only 300 competitors nationally, compared to thousands in athletics or rugby. "Even with a little bit of training we thought they would quickly be in the top 100," says John Scriven, Head of Services at the Jersey Sport Foundation.

The JSF decided to narrow the focus down even more by creating a female team. "It's a very developmental sport in the UK," says John. "It is not as big as it in Estonia, Latvia or China. We want to prove what can be done with intelligent identification, the right coaching environment and with motivated individuals. We also want to challenge the dogma that surrounds female strength training. We have never had a team of female Olympic Weightlifters and we haven't had a male team in 65 years. It's very exciting!"

Video: The team pumping iron at Fort Regent.

Although weightlifting is not a traditional Jersey sport "anyone would do, let alone girls" as John says, we were really pleased when 25 islanders showed their interest. They all went through a selection day which included a physical test, where their limbs were measured as well as their strength, power output and flexibility, and a psychological evaluation. The ones who scored the highest in each areas were then selected to form the squad. Grace Bravery, Florrie Copley, Abbie Le Marquand, Rachel Leck, Laura Makin, Hannah Medder, Amy Moore, Rhea Munro, Charlotte Neale, Katie Penn and Samantha Petrean therefore started training on 24 April.

At only 14 Charlotte is the youngest member in the team. Whileshe says her parents were excited for her, they were also nervous she would drop the weights on her head. The young girl is however enjoying the training and performing well. "It's a really good opportunity, especially to join the Commonwealth Games. It's fun to break the rules about girls not lifting!"

For Amy, who already had some experience in Olympic Weightlifting, the opportunity to represent the island in a sport she really associated with was too good to pass. "Having a bit of experience in this area and being given the opportunity to do this with the support of this group of girls as well as Jersey Sport Foundation, I jumped on it because it was such a fantastic opportunity. I thought going to Commonwealth Games is, although slightly overwhelming, incredibly exciting."

Pictured: The girls are hoping not only to get medals but to convince other girls to start lifting.

While 'Power to Podium' is a "fast-track programme to the Commonwealth, training has started gradually. So far, it has focused on becoming an athlete and developing basic strength qualities. There is however no room for slackening.

John, along with all the other coaches with the help of Sam Morris, Jo Cabot and Peter Irving, is trained in Olympic Weightlifting. He explains: "He explains: "It is nice that the Sport Foundation is able to fund this. It’s free for the athletes, they pay by bringing a positive attitude, committing to training and competition, and championing the sport for females in Jersey. They can only miss a training session if they have a really valid excuse, otherwise they get thrown out. We all expect of them to train three times a week and to have 77% of attendance throughout the year. We are quite strict!

“It is a huge commitment, it is life changing. They will have to be selfish and task-orientated. Becoming an athlete is not complicated, it’s simple, you have to train and you have to do it hard. They will have to give up going out and put everything else on hold.”

Pictured: The team of 10 women was put together after physical and psychological tests.

On top of their training, the squad will have access to the same kind of services the Foundation provides to top level athletes. This includes physiotherapy, performance lifestyle, coaching, nutritional advice and help with setting goals. 

The endgame for all is to be competitive and reach finals at major competitions such as at the Commonwealth Games  - "we are not here to flag wave but to seriously compete," says John. They will however do so, not by developing bulky heavy physiques, but by developing a highly efficient nervous system that is incredibly fast and powerful.” “We are not looking to add bodyweight to the athletes,” says John. “Because the heavier you get, the harder it gets. If you weigh 100 kilos, the weight you have to lift is considerably high. We want to keep the girls at a healthy weight and use the relative strength to body weight. What we are after is more of a gymnastic physique.”

Pictured: The team trains three times a week at Fort Regent.

Beyond collecting medals, the JSF hopes the ripple effect of the team's successes will convince girls to take up strength training. "There are some unjust and unfound misconceptions around weightlifting," explains John. "Girls can actually be competitive at it and it can be very healthy for them. They don't have to look heavy or bulky. There are seven different weight categories in weightlifting which allows for a range of participants, as such it’s a very inclusive sport.  

"I am prepared to stick my neck out and break away from the norm and to empower girls to start lifting. A club has already been set up on the back of the programme, these girls will be role models and champions for weightlifting.  We want to continue to develop the sport. Everyone should do it. We hope to prove its benefits and to motivate a generation to lift. It is empowering to show girls that they can compete in sports that they feel they can’t access because of social limitations.”