Camille Holland is amazed at how quickly she has gone from novice to a place in the Great Britain squad for the European Powerlifting Championships.
The Cambridge lifter only took up the sport 18 months ago, but having won the British women’s title at over-84kg last year at the first time of asking, she has continued to improve.
And after attending a national squad training session in London earlier this month, Holland was handed a spot in the team for the competition in Estonia in March.
She said: “It’s exciting, but it’s also just got a little bit terrifying because it’s happened so soon.
“There are people I’ve always looked up to and suddenly I’ll be up against them, but I’m looking forward to it.
“I’ve only been lifting since July 2014, but I’ve had great coaching and I seem to have natural ability as well as the build for the sport – I’ve got short limbs so it means I don’t have to push the weight as far!
“But I’ve made it one of my life goals and I’m dedicated to training an awful lot more, but it’s still surprising to have come this far in such a short space of time, so I wonder how it will be in another year.
“I’m now training six days a week just so I can get some more volume with more reps, heavier weights and a variety of exercises.
“My new coach Rhett Milton is really good and keeps me in check, so I need to make sure I get enough sleep and eat enough.”
Holland said the Europeans would be a step into the unknown, though.
She said: “When you look at last year’s totals, I would have been fourth, but my squat and dead lift should hopefully be good enough to get me a medal.”
Holland felt her weakest discipline was bench press, but she still won the British title at the weekend, setting a national record of 105.5kg and earning an invitation to represent GB at the inaugural IPF World Bench Press Championships in South Africa in May.
“Last year I was really stuck on my bench press, but I really took the time out to nail my form and get a few different people looking at it,” she said.
“My coach is looking at me doing 110kg at the Europeans, but I just think we’ll have to see.”
But Holland was just one of several lifters from RP Fitness to taste success at the British Bench Press Championships.
Richard Patman and Dullal Miah both won their categories while Anastasia Zinchenko was second and Milton third.
Photos by: Keith Heppell
Courtesy of: Cambridge News