On 31 October Linda Rose-James accomplished her goal of representing Australia at the WPC World Powerlifting Championships in Manchester, UK. After a challenging competition day Linda came away with a gold medal – the highlight of her powerlifting career to-date. Linda was one of 25 Australians competing in the competition, with three competitors being trained by her coach, Manny Tsiolakis of Dynamis Strength in North Nowra.
The lead-up to Worlds started at the beginning of this year when her coach set out the ‘game plan’. Training would step up to four sessions per week and she would compete at the State titles, then Nationals, with the intent of making it to Worlds. The gauntlet was laid down and it would take a great deal of commitment and focus. Her coach’s faith that she would be capable of successfully competing at such a high level has been a motivating force for Linda throughout the year.
Linda knew that competing on the world stage would be a far cry from the first competition she participated in last year, and that she would need to dig deep to do well. After coping with the lengthy travel and change in climate, Linda unfortunately aggravated a shoulder injury on her final bench-press attempt. Her immediate concern was that she would not be able to perform any deadlifts and therefore not finish the competition. Following a nervous hour of rest, Linda and her coach decided to see how much she could deadlift, starting with a very low weight. This caused no further discomfort, so they gradually increased the weight on the bar during the warm-up. Linda went on to execute three successful deadlifts and complete the competition.
Manny later posted on social media that “After doing in her rotator cuff on bench and not being able to lift up her arm, we adjusted and finished strong. This is what true champions are made of – never quitting”. Linda’s experience at the world championships embodied the powerlifting mindset of setting goals and adapting when challenges arise in order to achieve success. The competition day didn’t go to plan but, with the support of her coach and teammates, and adjustments to her lift attempts, she accomplished her goal. For Linda, overcoming the challenges of the day made receiving the medal all the more rewarding.
Linda is grateful for the support and interest shown by the residents of Kangaroo Valley and is looking forward to competing again in 2024.