Back in August, Emerald powerlifter Cass Pickard’s career was in jeopardy and all her year’s progress as an athlete in doubt.
A 10-year-old hernia tear had flared up again and threatened to rob her of her national dream.
Yet tomorrow, astonishingly, she will represent her adopted country in the Powerlifting Commonwealth Championships in Canada more confident than ever, having lifted herself through one of the toughest stages of her life.
“I was gutted when I got my hernia injury in August. It was a real scare and I was just gutted,” 41-year-old Pickard said.
“But I am ready. I have done the work and I am excited. I got through this injury and I am in my right headspace. I am looking forward to finishing this year on a high.
“I was pretty determined to go and represent Australia. I have PBs and I really just want to beat them. My goals are still the same as they were at the start of the year – I think I will go pretty close to beating them too.”
Cass said she feels blessed to have such a wonderful support group, from her Generations Gym and RealFitt Gym in Canberra to her friends and number one fans in husband Hamish and children Tyson and Dilyn.
“I am very lucky. The all-round support has been incredible and it starts with my family, who are just amazing,” the mother said.
“Tyson saw me with all my medals out and he said to me, ‘Mum, are you going to bring home another one?’ and I said, ‘Oh I don’t know yet buddy’ and he said, ‘Yes you will, mum. You always bring home a medal.’
“It’s in his head that I am going to do well and I just love that. It’s exciting to see that my kids are so excited.
“My kids love it, they get down and do their press-ups and say, ‘look mum.’
“I think it’s hard having kids in general. It’s finding that balance between Cass the athlete, Cass the mum, Cass the wife and then I still have to work and then try to fit your friends in too – it is very hard.”
Spotted from Canberra by coach Joe Matthews, Pickard sends videos to her mentor and while the new system was tough to adapt to, she now loves it and the results are showing.
“Initially it was hard but I like it now. I only have to work around Hamish and work. I can train whenever it suits now and just tape it and send it down to Joe,” she explained.
“Squats are technically my worst lift and Joe has helped me tweak that. I am now going into this comp the most confident I have with squats, and that is exciting.
“The training blocks leading up to comps, you are almost crying during some of the sets. You are stuffed by the end of it and your hands are ripping.”
But she said the hard worth was worth it.
Pickard has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the new sport after being discovered by chance by world champion powerlifter Katrina Robertson, who took her under her wing.
“After I had the kids I was pretty fat. I just got huge and loved food,” she said.
“But Katrina saw me in the gym and told me I was a powerlifter – I had never even heard of powerlifting.
“Five weeks later, after training, she said let’s go do a little competition in Townsville and see if you like it.
“I stepped up there and lifted 150kg, 30kg more than I had in the gym, and I was just on cloud nine.
“I said to my friend ‘I think I am going to be good at this’ and I have never looked back.”
It is that type of confidence she exudes and the exact mental protein she needs for Canada.
Major medals
2013 Commonwealth Championships (NZ): 2nd – silver medal
2013 Oceania Championships (NZ): 3rd – bronze medal
2013 Australian Nationals (Melbourne): 4th
2014 Open Australian Nationals (Melbourne): 3rd – bronze medal
2014 Masters Nationals (Melbourne): 1st – gold medal
2014 Oceania Championships Masters (Melbourne): 1st – gold medal
2015 Australian Nationals Open (Melbourne): 1st – gold medal
Courtesy of: CQ News