Anna Thompson found out last week she had been selected to represent New Zealand in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships, less than a year after entering her first powerlifting competition.
The 34-year-old Arrowtown mother of three said she started doing ”a little bit” of strength training in 2012 to help ease her chronic back pain, which led her to take up CrossFit.
”I was getting good at lifting. I saw what I could lift in CrossFit without training [for powerlifting] was pretty good, so I started competing.”
Mrs Thompson, an artist and jeweller, entered her first official powerlifting competition earlier this year, competing at the provincial championships in Dunedin where she lifted enough to qualify for the nationals in Auckland in July.
While she had applied for consideration to represent New Zealand in Vancouver, illness prior to the nationals meant she lost strength, so did not hold much hope.
After badly spraining her ankle nine days ago, Mrs Thompson was gutted to have to pull out of a national CrossFit competition in which she had been doing well – but the following day’s news that she had been selected in the open women 72kg class to represent New Zealand put the smile back on her face.
The trip – which would cost from $6000 to $8000 – was entirely self-funded, meaning ”not necessarily the best can go”.
”A lot of the best are saving their money and [training] for the worlds, but this is my shot. I might come in last, but I’m there. I legitimately qualified and got selected.”
She will compete on December 2 – coinciding with her 15th wedding anniversary, which she will not be able to celebrate with her husband, James, who will stay in Arrowtown with the couple’s children, aged 12, 10 and 9.
”I couldn’t do the trip if it wasn’t for [my family] pulling together and looking after the kids.”
Her immediate focus is strengthening her ankle enough to resume her normal training regime – three two-hour CrossFit sessions, three powerlifting sessions, running, swimming and mobility work every week – and ensuring she gets enough sleep while also juggling family life, her jewellery business and a gardening job.
”It sounds busy, but it’s a little bit of lots. I don’t do well when I’m stressed out, so I carefully manage that.
”Getting enough sleep is just as important as lifting heavy weights. At my age I can’t out-train people, I’ve got to out-recover.
She has assistance from her CrossFit coach, Bruce Perry, who is ”learning how to be a powerlifting coach for my sake”, and Queenstown Health chiropractor Dr Robert Moore, but is largely training herself.
And, she hopes to inspire other women to get involved in the sport.
”I want people to know they can do this.
”Your body is just so much better. A lot of people don’t do anything for fitness because they’re sore … it’s how you get around it.
”I just love how … the focus is on what you can do – if you can lift lots and walk around without pain, it’s amazing.”
Also selected for the New Zealand team are Dunedin’s Emma Takapi (17) – who was named most promising lifter at the nationals – and Jayden Willcock, selected in the sub-junior (14-18 year) age-group, Tom Hart (19-23 age-group) and Bruce Park in the masters (70+).
Courtesy of: Otago Daily News