Lift for Cancer’s weekend by the Sea

Over a week has passed since Lift for Cancer’s Seaside Showdown and it isn’t just this niggling shoulder injury that has kept last weekend’s deadlift drama at the forefront of my mind.

Lifters from across the country met at Scarborough’s Spa complex to engage in a beachfront battle that captivated tattoo clad conventioneers and everyday beach goers alike. As a last minute entrant to the competition I became instantly thankful I’d made the commitment to lift. The whole set-up differed from any other Powerlifting competition I had been to, with the stage outside against a beautiful beach backdrop, what wasn’t to
love?

The lifting took place over two days, the ladies and the lighter men on Saturday whilst the battle of the big boys took centre stage on Sunday. It was extremely refreshing to lift alongside a number of first time lifters, all of which showed strength, class and passion on the platform. Powerlifting appears to be growing rapidly and recruiting some very strong ladies along the way.

I opened on 130kg lifting to the not so serious  Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls just wanna have fun”, which believe it or not wasn’t out of place amongst the other track choices; Barbie Girl and Pretty Woman to name a few.

Yes, this was no ordinary Powerlifting meet.

Most lifters chose a fun track to accompany their first lift often with some rather questionable dance moves to complement these choices; guilty as charged. The lift felt easy, the crowd supportive and so I went ahead with a second of 142.5kg, a training lift at best, this time opting for The Prodigy to spur me on. With the second lift in, the final decision was already made, 150kg; I hadn’t hit this for a while and I hadn’t trained much either but I’m never satisfied unless 150kg is at least attempted. I did attempt it and it just wasn’t there, no matter how hard the crowd screamed and how much I pulled, I had to succumb and drop the bar. Whilst personally I felt pretty annoyed with myself, it was a charity event and the only numbers that really mattered on the day were the coins in the buckets. As it turned out my 142.5kg was enough to win the class and I’m pretty proud to be one of the winners at the first ever Seaside Showdown.

Sunday’s lifting was a clash of epic proportions where lifts in excess of 300kg were far from uncommon. Crowds gathered to watch a battle of the giants where newcomers and Powerlifting veterans showcased their strength on the platform. A variety of unofficial world records were broken including a 310kg Master’s record lift from my own Coach, Gary Boulton; a personal best, proving age is nothing but a number in this game. Another lifter dominating the platform was Jay Hollingsworth, whom delayed procedures when tape was needed to secure his colossal attempts to the bar; finishing on 372.5kg at just 109kg body weight and attracting generous donations from the crowd.

 

To close the show, I was proud as a Lift for Cancer athlete to be asked to give out the medals and awards to lifters as a token of their efforts on the final day. I feel honoured to have been a part of such a successful and positive event which is sure to map out a prosperous future for Lift for Cancer.  Overall, the weekend was a resounding success, raising the profile of the Lift for Cancer campaign as well as over £1000 toward the cause.

To find out more about Lift for Cancer head over to the website at: http://www.liftforcancer.wix.com/charity

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/liftforcancer/

Photo’s by Prime Photographic: http://www.facebook.com/primephotographic/