Rising to be the best! | Maddie Power
Olympic Weightlifting teenage, Junior and under 23 champion Maddie Power shares memorable moments and the pros and cons of her Olympic Weightlifting journey
Q. Take us back to the beginning, Maddie Power. How old were you when you first started weightlifting?
I started weightlifting when I was 12 years old. I used to go to a CrossFit for kids class at the same gym as Mum. I loved the challenge and had just started to take on some of the weightlifting aspects of CrossFit, but then the classes ended, so we looked into a local weightlifting club so that I could continue with it, and I just really loved the challenge of it. The rest from here is history.
Q. How have you managed to be so focused at your age?
I was always involved in many different sports when growing up and always liked playing sports that challenged me and could have fun. The gym and people I train with keep me motivated to push hard, but we also have a lot of fun in between sets. The atmosphere in our club is incredible, and I love being there. It keeps me motivated.
When I first started weightlifting, I wasn’t goal-focused at all. I just found it fun to lift, but as I got older, I discovered that I wanted to take the sport seriously and try to make it to all the National and International competitions. The thought of me participating in these competitions and becoming known by my peers and the industry inspired me to focus on rising to be the best.
Q. Why Olympic weightlifting?
I choose Olympic weightlifting because I get such a fantastic feeling when I compete that could never be replaced by anything else. The emotions you experience when you get a PB is something exceptional and something I thrive on. It inspires me to keep training and get stronger and better, so I feel like this 90% of the time.
It’s such a technically challenging sport; some days, you can hit your numbers easily; other days, you can’t even lift your 85%. But, it’s a sport that you are forever learning and challenging you to be your best, and I love that.
Q. What’s it like being a Teenage Olympic lifter in a male-dominated industry?
It’s honestly a fantastic feeling being a teenage girl in a male-dominated industry because it makes me feel like women can do the same as men and achieve anything they put their minds to regardless of their sex. It’s empowering to be able to lift like men and sometimes even lift better than men. It’s also awesome seeing more and more women in this sport now.
Q. Who are your inspirations?
I have two main inspirations in this sport. Erika Yamasaki is an Australian Weightlifter, and Mattie Rogers an American Weightlifter. Both lifters have had to overcome so much to chase their dreams of going to the Olympics. They have both missed out before and had so much doubt if they would ever make it, they have had to overcome injuries and have had so much thrown at them, but they have never given up and just keep working hard every day to achieve their dreams. It is inspiring.
Mattie Rogers has just been selected for the Olympic team, and Erika should shortly also. I hope one day I can become just as impressive at weightlifting as they are.
Also, Erika is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and gives so much back to the sport. I want to be just like her someday.
Q. What do your diet and training consist of?
I have a fantastic nutritionist Amie at Target Nutrition. She helps me with my eating plans and making sure I have enough energy for each training session, and she helps me leading into competition time, so I can always lift to the best of my abilities. I couldn’t do it without her!
I train four days a week for about 2 hours per training session, depending on what is happening through the year and my competitions. After that, I will change it up to 5 days a week. Sometimes it can be hard balancing it between school and family/friend commitments, but I just focus on my goals and get them done.
Q. Based on your experience, what are the pros and cons of your sport?
Sometimes olympic weightlifting is not a very prominent sport (compared to swimming and athletics), so it can be challenging for funding to become a full-time athlete in this sport.
But I love being able to travel and see around the country and the world when competing. That is such a privilege, especially for someone my age. I had never travelled internationally before competing in weightlifting, and now I have been to Vanuatu, Samoa, New Caledonia, Buenos Aires and Las Vegas.
Q. How did you get your mojo back after Covid-19?
I found training through Covid-19 hard. I was training by myself at home, which I didn’t like and not being able to see everyone you train with and coaching via Zoom was difficult. Also, competitions were cancelled, so I felt like there wasn’t much to work towards. However, I was so excited to be back in the gym and to see everyone again once the restrictions lifted, so getting back into it was easy for me.
Q. What are your titles? How did it feel to win those, and how did it feel when you didn’t win those?
My title right now is Junior and under 23 champion, and it felt amazing to achieve this goal in only my first year in the Junior age category. It shows that I have a lot more in the tank for my next few years as a Junior, and I can’t wait to see what I can do in those times ahead.
I also have State and National records that I am proud of. Maddie Power's records:
- F71Kg
- Junior & U23 QLD Snatch Record - 85kg
- Junior & U23 QLD C&J Record – 103kg
- Junior & U23 QLD Platform Total Record – 188kg
- F71kg
- Youth National Snatch Record - 80kg
- Youth National C&J Record – 100kg
- Youth National Platform Total Record – 180kg
Tell us your most memorable moment or funniest thing that’s happened to you?
My most memorable moment would probably have to be qualifying for the Youth Olympics in 2018 because it was such a tough battle between another fantastic weightlifter and me. Only one female and one male from Australia could qualify. So when I was the one to qualify, it was the most wonderful weightlifting moment ever.
I had to hit lifts in a competition that I had not even tried in training, and the realisation that all that training and everything I was doing and had done for that moment had paid off, and it is by far my favourite weightlifting memory so far.
Tell us about your Coach, the trust and connection that you have with him.
My coach is the most amazing ever. My coach Cal from Burleigh Barbell Club took me and has trained me from my very first weightlifting session. To be with him for so long, you learn how to trust each other, and as the days go on, our relationship keeps getting better and stronger.
I don’t think there is another weightlifting coach who could coach me better than Cal. He puts everything into getting me to my goals, and I am so grateful to him for everything.
Thanks Maddie Power for the chat!
Read about the rest of the VERVE Squad here
