Bronze for Bea at World University Powerlifting Cup 2022
385kg Total at 63kg
How does it feel to be on the podium in an international competition?
Very exciting! I didn’t think I would be anywhere near the standard needed to get on the podium, so it was the nicest surprise when it all came together to get me into 3rd place.
As your second university powerlifting cup, how was your preparation compared to the first time?
The most obvious difference was that in my first university powerlifting cup in Estonia in 2019, I was competing in the -72kg category to help the Cambridge team score more points. This time, I had to do a small cut as I was in the -63kg, which I found a little bit stressful due to managing hydration, water retention, and food whilst travelling. The other difference was that this time around I was no longer at Cambridge! The difference between training with other people versus training alone made the tougher sessions tougher, and there was no one to enjoy the good sessions with!
What were your expectations going into the comp?
To be honest I had no expectations for this competition. I thought that BUCs back in April, would be my last one, so I was just happy to be there and to have been selected to compete! I knew that I could beat my BUCs total, but the last couple of weeks of my peak went a bit wrong (I had some injuries growing and was over-fatigued) so I decided to just see what I could do and not set too much of a specific goal or total or anything. I only checked the nominations the night before so that I didn’t overthink that too. Even on the day I had to avoid being set on specific goals as I missed a couple of lifts I would have expected to get, and if I had been so set on hitting certain numbers I think I would have psyched myself out of the other lifts, and probably wouldn’t have reached the podium.
What was the highlight of the entire trip for you?
I am sad that I couldn’t stay longer at the venue and hang out with all the team - unfortunately it was a pretty busy period for me so I just stayed at the competition for the one night before I lifted. But, my highlight was being part of the GB universities squad. Everyone I met was so friendly and I was so impressed by how professional everything - the team was super strong and my handlers were amazing. I just wish I could have stayed longer and enjoyed it all more!
