Kaiya McPay made an extraordinary showing at the BC Powerlifting Association’s competition in Vancouver, bringing home the gold medal and smashing records along the way.
McPay trains and coaches out of Campbell River’s Crossfit O’Twelve gym. Powerlifting is an intense sport testing both physical and psychological strength.
While there are obvious requirements of great strength, precision and technique, it is the overall ironwill and correct tactical decisions which are necessary in order to mount the winners’ podium.
There are three attempts in each of the disciplines, the best lift in each discipline is added together to arrive at a lifter’s total for the competition, they are then ranked.
McPay hit two of the three back squats successfully.
“I missed depth on my second lift due to a slight wardrobe malfunction, but went into the back and with the support of my coach, Phil Howe, got my head back in the meet,” she said. “After sorting out my singlet, I went back in, squatting full depth and then some!”
McPay came in just five kilograms short of a provincial record, finishing with 115 kilos.
McPay crushed the previous bench press record of 72.5 kilos, lifting 86 kilos.
She continued to smash records by beating the old deadlift standard by 17 kilos, lifting 142.5 kilos. In the final count, her total weight raised was 343.5 kilos, beating the old provincial record of 305 kilos.
McPay is looking forward to training for the next meet, and has some serious goals in sight which include qualifying for the National Powerlifting Competition in the spring of 2015.