Wanting to beat her mother in a lifting contest about a year ago put Emma Takapi on the path to pick up four gold medals in Canada earlier this month.
Takapi (18) is just back from Vancouver where she won four gold medals at the Commonwealth powerlifting championships.
She won all three categories in the sub-junior 84kg-plus grade, and won the gold medal when all three categories were combined.
Takapi lifted 140kg in the squat, 70kg in the bench and 185kg in the deadlift.
The bench and the deadlift were personal-bests and she holds New Zealand records in all three categories.
Coached by Dunedin lifter Tom Hart, the former Otago Girls’ High School pupil, who has just finished school, said it was an enjoyable competition and she was surprised she had done so well.
She went for the world record in her age and class in the the deadlift, attempting to lift 200.5kg, but she could not quite complete the lift.
Deadlifts require lifters to lift the weight up and hold with straight arms while their back is straight.
She said she could not quite get the weight held but it was something to aim for.
Takapi was first introduced to the sport when Hart conducted a novice competition about a year ago.
“My mum [Amy Thurlow] did the novice competition and she said to do it and see if I could beat her. And I did.”
From there, she has moved effortlessly through the competition and won all the titles in her class at the national championships in Auckland in July.
She has about four training sessions a week and the next big aim is the Oceania championships next year in Samoa.
She enjoyed the championships in Vancouver, having to buy another bag – for all the shopping and the medals.
“I love the competitions. It’s a long build-up with the training but the competition had a good atmosphere. Everyone is in their zone, just focusing on their event, headphones on.
“I’m not like that. I’m just smiling and laughing, enjoying it all.”
Overall, the New Zealand team did very well with a total of 55 gold medals from 36 lifters.
Jayden Wilcock, also 18, of Dunedin, was in the under-105kg sub-juniors.
She squatted 245kg, benched 152.5kg and deadlifted 262.5kg for a third place overall in a very competitive class.
Hart, who also coached Wilcock, was in the junior under-93kg class.
He squatted 237.5kg, benched 132.5kg and deadlifted 257.5 for fifth place overall.
Courtesy of: Otago Daily Times