AnnaK's S.Africa Bench Press Trip!

Fundraising for my trip to South Africa to compete with Team GBPF!

TL;DR: I'm absolutely thrilled to have been invited to compete with Team GBPF in the Bench Press World Championships in South Africa in May this year! I would appreciate any help getting there!

 Follow me on Facebook here:
facebook.com/AnnaKPowerlifter/

And Instagram:
instagram.com/annak63kg/

If you want to read the long-story version:

I started trying to get fit, lose weight and play roller derby when I turned 30 (2.5years ago) n realised I'd sat on my lardy arse being miserable for 20 years. I started walking n doing body weight exercises at home, then started roller derby training a couple of months later. Next month I started going to the gym n trying out the powerlifting lifts - started out struggling to bench a 15kg bar. For the first 10months, my main focus was skating, twice a week. The gym and all the squats were to benefit my roller derby training... then I broke my leg at skating practice. The healing process was pretty long - it was a bad smash (tib/fib – fixed with an IM nail)... so after a couple of months of recovery, (aged 31) I started going back to the gym when all I could do was upper body stuff. Months of sitting on my arse with dumbbells 3-4 times a week and doing just basic leg mobility/physio for my weak leg (and using crutches to get around)... and I'd built up a pretty good bench. Hit 60kg bench (bodyweight at the time, i'm now 63 dead on) December 2014 for a shakey single.

I've had a lot of ups n downs with training, including dealing with depression and asthma.

My now-partner entered his first powerlifting meet Nov 2014 after joining Supreme Training Powerlifting Club August 2014. I went to watch n realised that, while i couldn't DL or squat (I was still non-weight-bearing and on crutches), my bench was better than most of the girls', except those in the 84+ category. So I knew I had a chance at competing. I aimed to enter the next Bench-only comp in my GBPF division (YNEPF), which was September 2015. I started training more seriously, including two-three sessions a month with the local Powerlifting group, Supreme Training, which provided a lot of support, encouragement, technique tips and a chance at a mock comp to practice commands. In the run-up to the Sept comp, I ran Smolov Jnr for my bench.

I entered my first competition in September 2015, a bench-only at Durham (YNEPF) and hit a 65kg lift, which qualified me for the Britsh Bench Press Championships in January.
In December, I attempted my second comp, a newbie full comp at Eggborough, where I hit the 65kg bench again, but failed the 70kg. I also managed a squat of 80kg (failed the 90 on the day) and a deadlift of 90kg (just lost grasp of the 100kg, my left hand is weaker) –not bad considering it was 17months since breaking my leg!

I set my goals for 2016 in terms of numbers: get that 70kg bench!
And in January 2016, I entered my third comp, the Great British Bench Press at Horncastle: I lifted a comp PB of 67.5, then failed again at 70kg. Was thoroughly devastated, sat up n thought 'If only I had another crack at that, NEXT TIME'. And then got an amazingly unexpected surprise: an invitation as a reserve to the GB Team!

I have been accepted on the Team and will be travelling to Potchefstroom, South Africa this May!

Massive 'Thank You's and much love to everyone who has supported me to get this far in a short space of time!

<3

P.S.: Got the 70kg lift in the gym –now to do it in comp! I will be competing in the Bench-only in Durham in April, aiming to nail it this time!


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