For those who don’t know, what actually is Powerlifting?

So powerlifting is all about three lifts: the squat, bench press and deadlift. The aim of the game is to lift the most across all three lifts. Pretty simple. You usually do 2-3 competitions a year which are great fun, because it's basically a day out where months of training come to fruition on a cool platform with bright lights and a huge crowd screaming your name. The atmosphere is incredible and so supportive, it really is an amazing experience.

Is it easy for beginners to join Powerlifting?

Yes! My pitch at the freshers and sports fair is that, while we're called the powerlifting club, it's really just a community of gym-goers. There is absolutely no requirement to compete or lift any amount of weight, all we're looking for is enthusiasm. The bulk of our membership are people simply looking to get a bit more help with their fitness/strength journey and find other people to go to the gym with. It's so much easier to get into the gym if you have a supportive community that can hold you to account and provide some structure and advice to your training, which is exactly what we're about.

"While we're called the powerlifting club, it's really just a community of gym-goers"

Who is your sporting idol?

I quite like Khabib Nurmagomedov. His iconic fight against McGregor showed that humility and discipline beat noisy and cocky theatrics. Style is important but that fight felt like a triumph of substance over spectacle. 

What is your best and worst sporting moment?

Best has probably got to be that time I won British Nationals and got my Team GB call up... Worst is losing college rugby cuppers finals two years in a row to Jesus and Johns.

"I think for me the best bit is being put outside of your comfort zone"

Do you have any pre-match rituals? 

Watching hype YouTube edits of your sport, I think, is quite a universal experience. I also like to visualise how cool of an Instagram post I'll be able to make if I win afterwards.

What is the best and worst bit about being captain? 

I think for me the best bit is being put outside of your comfort zone. I used to find it quite scary leading training sessions and socials, but the kind of opportunities being Captain entails really helps you grow as a person. The aura is quite nice as well. The worst bit is definitely the admin, I think I've become known for my shadmin within the committee.

How do you manage to balance sport and work? 

I think I'm still figuring that one out. This year is meant to be my great academic lock in, but it's still pending. I guess sport is quite a good outlet and training gives structure to the day.

What does a typical training session look like for you? 

1. Dread of the 15 minute cycle to Uni sports centre. 2. Pre session yap. 3. Optional warm up. 4. Do my exercises and then rest on Clash Royale, Instagram and TikTok. 5. Post session yap. 6. Leave to go home and make chicken and rice.

Do you have any predictions for the upcoming season?

Hopefully not bottling our 12-year winning streak against Oxford at Varsity. A strong team performance at BUCS would be cool too! I'm also doing student fight night this term.