How I Became a World Powerlifting Champion at 45 - Episode 3: Adaptation and Resilience Through Challenges

Episode 3: Adaptation and Resilience Through Challenges

In Episode 2, I shared how mentors and a strong support network helped lay the foundation for my powerlifting journey. Now, in Episode 3, we explore how determination and adaptation kept me moving forward, even through the toughest challenges.

Overcoming obstacles isn’t new in powerlifting, and this episode explores the process of building resilience, managing injuries, and refining my approach to training for longevity.

 

Training Evolution and Adapting for Success

Heading into my first National Championship, I felt a bit like a rabbit in the headlights. I didn’t really know what to expect. It was a milestone I had set for myself as I worked through a lengthy rehab program for my shoulder, and it lined up perfectly with my entry into the Masters age categories. I had no specific expectations, but sometimes the stars align just right—and that first Nationals experience was one of those times.

 

Jason and I at Masters Nationals in June 2019—celebrating the journey and camaraderie that define powerlifting.

Generally speaking, the main thrust of powerlifting training remains consistent, whether it’s a local meet or the World Championships. The goal is always to improve on your personal bests, to lift more weight than you’ve ever done before. What does shift, however, is the pressure you put on yourself. Injuring my shoulder again, just a week before Worlds, left me in tears, with all the sacrifices and effort suddenly at stake. I’d already missed out on Worlds in 2023 due to finances and injury, so the thought of potentially missing out again—especially with the competition so close to home and just days away—was almost too much. But we pushed through, and (SPOILER ALERT) I made it to the platform. Had it been a local competition with not as much on the line, the pressure wouldn’t have been so great to ‘play injured’ and plough on through.

As I progressed from a novice to a high-level lifter, the approach to training and competition planning evolved. For beginners, it’s essential to get as much competition experience as possible, building programs around available meets. But as you gain strength and experience, you start to plan with a longer-term vision. Choosing which competitions to enter becomes more strategic, as constantly peaking can take a toll on the body. Preparing for smaller meets can divert time and energy away from building muscle and overall strength, leading to what I’ve come to think of as an opportunity cost in training.

As I’ve gotten stronger—and let’s face it, older—recovering from these intense peaks has become tougher. Balancing the long-term goal of gaining strength with the immediate demands of competition requires a more strategic approach. Keeping my eyes on the big picture has been one of the biggest shifts in my training philosophy. Learning to prioritise key events, manage recovery, and allow myself time off when needed has been crucial in staying focused, even if it hasn’t always kept me injury-free. It’s about finding ways to adapt and keep moving forward despite the setbacks.

 

Managing Setbacks and Staying Resilient

I’d dealt with my fair share of injuries in athletics and field hockey, so setbacks weren’t entirely new to me. My injuries were rarely the typical sprinter’s strains like hamstring pulls. Instead, I faced more unusual setbacks, like a bipartite patella that needed removal, having my front teeth knocked out with a hockey stick, or even developing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome while juggling track and university commitments. But suffering a major injury like my rotator cuff tear in 2017 was a different kind of body blow—it came just as I was beginning to find my footing in powerlifting.

 

Injury management isn't always glamorous. Training with your shoulder being held together with tape, can sometimes do weird things to your skin!

At the time, I was also in the final stages of preparing to build my house, so the timing was doubly challenging. After months of conservative treatment with little improvement, I reluctantly went to see a surgeon. Luckily, he knew another surgeon running a stem cell trial for rotator cuff tears—a unique opportunity that I seized without hesitation. That’s a story for another day, but it was a pivotal point in my recovery journey.

In collaboration with my coach Chris, we built a program that kept me training without further aggravating my shoulder. Even though I couldn’t lift exactly as I wanted, we managed to continue building strength and muscle through an adapted program. Staying connected with my training crew provided crucial support during that period. Even when I was off doing my modified exercises, just being in the same physical space as my “team” helped keep me grounded and focused on recovery.

That experience highlighted the importance of a strong training environment. The team couldn’t take away the frustration, and there were times I felt like I was falling behind, but their support was a constant reminder that I wasn’t going through it alone. Staying involved by emceeing and refereeing competitions helped me stay connected to the sport and reminded me why I wanted to come back stronger.

 

Keeping my head in the game—staying involved through emceeing and refereeing reminded me why I love this sport and kept me motivated to come back stronger.

Reflecting on that period, it reinforced how fleeting our moments of peak performance can be. My resilience was tested, but deep down, I didn’t doubt my own ability to return if given the chance. My only concern was whether my shoulder would hold up and allow me to pursue my goals fully. In the end, that period taught me the value of celebrating each step forward, no matter how small, and recognising the importance of having the right people around me to stay motivated and positive.

 

A Full-Circle Moment: From Recovery to the World Stage

It’s hard to believe how far I’ve come since my first post-injury max session in November 2018. Almost two years of grit and determination went into rehabbing my shoulder and then rebuilding my strength after the rotator cuff tear. At the time, just getting my left arm into a position to hold the squat bar was an achievement in itself. With the guidance of my physio Jeremy, and my coach Chris, I spent countless hours focused on lower body strength. Exercises like leg press, belt squats, and safety bar squats became my foundation, holding me in good stead when I couldn’t squat traditionally.

 

 Even though I couldn't train as usual, I was able to maintain my lower body strength with exercises like leg press, belt squats and leg extentions

That night was a turning point. After getting my shoulder back to the point where I could comfortably, and safely, get it into position for squats, I had meticulously worked my way towards what I had been squatting before. I went in hoping to match my old PB of 205kg, maybe even inch past it. Instead, I ended up hitting 215kg—a full 10kg personal best. It felt like a long-awaited validation, a signal that my body was ready for the next challenge. That session set the stage for the goals I’d dared to set, like becoming “the strongest old bastard” in WA and making it to Nationals.

While my 215kg squat marked the milestone, the 210kg lift leading up to it gives a better sense of the grind. Here’s the 210kg lift at normal speed, followed by the 215kg squat… in time-lapse!

 

The 210kg squat moved fast and smoothly

 

 

 And here's my 215kg squat - who says lifter heavy things has to be serious all the time!

 

Now, standing on the world stage, I can look back at that night as a testament to resilience and the power of a solid support system. Each struggle and adaptation brought me closer to this moment, proving that even the longest roads lead somewhere extraordinary if you just keep going.

 

A Year of Recovery, Resilience, and Reflection

In 2023, I faced another unexpected setback when I injured my right shoulder—this time not from lifting but from wrangling one of my alpacas. Thankfully, it wasn’t as severe as my previous rotator cuff tear, but it forced me to miss most of the year. Having been through a similar rehab program before, I knew what it would take to come back. I drew comfort from the fact that I’d made it back once, and that experience gave me confidence to put in the work and focus on recovery.

By this time, Castle FY was up and running, our own “piece of paradise” in a shed on my property. Our setup was more modest than the high-end equipment available at the commercial gym we’d once trained at, but the support from my training crew was as strong as ever. Surrounded by people who shared the same drive and passion, I was able to adapt my programming to fit our new space and equipment. Honestly, a lot of it was just about giving myself a purpose and staying busy while I coached the others, rather than focusing on massive strength gains.

 

 

 Here's a look at the physical evolution of Castle FY, but that is a story for another day!

Through those months, I set my sights on the Asia Pacific Championships in early 2024, breaking that larger goal into smaller, achievable milestones. Focusing on a medium-to-long-term target gave me direction, and each small step helped me inch closer to a successful return to the platform. In hindsight, the time off may have been a blessing in disguise. I could focus on other priorities outside of lifting, and managing other challenges that life threw my way.

 

Lit up like a beacon in the night, the Castle FY gym shed became my sanctuary during recovery—guiding me back to strength, one lift at a time.

The year was also a stark reminder of how fragile our bodies can be, despite all we do to strengthen them. Those months led me to reflect deeply on my philosophies, my approach to resilience, and the importance of adapting in the face of setbacks. Although the specifics of training shifted, the personal growth and perspective I gained during that time reinforced the value of perseverance and community support.

 

After finding my footing and pushing through setbacks, it was time to prepare for the big stage. Episode 4 takes us through the intensive training block that led to the World Championships—every challenge, every lift, every rep. Just like the Australian cricket side, it'll be out soon!

 

What challenges have you overcome in your journey? Share your story in the comments section below.