Rockhampton powerlifter Lauren Cavanagh wins gold at world championships
A Rockhampton powerlifter has taken on the world and won gold at the World Powerlifting Championships in the United Kingdom.
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She’s taken on the state, the country and now Rockhampton powerlifter Lauren Cavanagh has taken on the world and won.
Lauren, 23, competed in the CAPO Powerlifting Nationals in Adelaide back in August and while she was there booked herself a spot in the world competition, which was held in Manchester in the United Kingdom.
Earlier this month Lauren took out gold for Australia at the World Powerlifting Championships.
It’s an incredible feat for the 23-year-old who has only been powerlifting for two years, with the world championship being her fifth competition since she began the sport.
At the Adelaide competition Lauren placed first in the juniors and also managed to break all three national records in her age and weight division, helping her qualify for the world championships.
During the championship competition in Manchester, Lauren won gold for her weight division and set a new world record in her dead lifts.
The previous dead lift world record for her age group was 185kg, with Lauren lifting 185.5kg.
“I was super nervous, I woke up at 3am the day of the competition because I was just so excited and nervous,” she said.
“I was ecstatic … it’s what I has been training for … it’s hard to put into words, it was very surreal walking up with the Australian flag, all my hard work had paid off.”
Now after full-on year of university and training Lauren is now taking a well-deserved break, before she gets ready for the national competition in August next year.
Staying up all night to watch from home, Lauren’s mum Glenda Cavanagh said words could not describe how proud the family was.
“I couldn’t believe it, I just thought ‘is this really happening?’, I was texting her asking if it meant she had won the gold,” she said.
“That child is just 100 percent with everything she does, we’re very proud of our girl.
“She’s been doing full-time uni, she works part-time and trains as well so she has not got one spare minute … she’s super involved and trains very hard and is the most dedicated person I know and super disciplined.”
Mrs Cavanagh said she was proud of what her daughter had achieved in her short time participating in the sport.
“I just thought ‘oh my gosh I’m a mum of a world champion, who would have thought’,” she said.
“I never thought it would get to worlds, she hadn’t been doing it very long went to state, won state, went to nationals and won nationals and then when she qualified for worlds.
“The day it happened I said to her ‘Lauren whatever happens today you’re already a champion because you’ve made it to the worlds and that’s a big achievement’ and she said he brother and sister said she couldn’t come home without gold.”
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