57yo powerlifter Frances Angeli to compete at National Powerlifting championship in Melbourne

When Frances Angeli started training as a powerlifter two years ago she was the oldest woman at her gym and struggled to deadlift 50kg. Now the 57-year-old is on a mission to secure her spot among the world’s best.

57-year-old powerlifter from Belmore Frances Angeli

When Frances Angeli started training as a powerlifter two years ago she was the oldest woman at her gym and struggled to deadlift 50 kgs.

Now the 57-year-old has defeated all odds and is looking to secure her spot among the country’s best and beat her own record of 150kg at the National Powerlifting championships in September at Melbourne.

While she’s known as the embodiment of perseverance at her Belmore gym, Frontline Fitness in Sydney’s southwest, the mother-of-two said she never pursued powerlifting for glory, but to simply improve her health and fitness.

“With powerlifting, you are your own competitor and what you put in is your own efforts so I’m always challenging myself,” she said.

While she said numbers aren’t the “be all and end all”, Angeli can now squat 120kg, bench 67.5kg and deadlift 150kg despite suffering a shoulder injury which stopped her training for six months last year.

57-year-old powerlifter from Belmore Frances Angeli

“If I commit to something, I don’t make excuses. I always think about how we can move forward,” she said.

Angeli said the National Powerlifting championships would be the perfect opportunity to improve on her own numbers and put her hard work on show.

57-year-old powerlifter from Belmore Frances Angeli

57-year-old powerlifter from Belmore Frances Angeli

“When I did my first comp it was a novice competition I never gave up and I’ve learn with powerlifting you’re not going to reach your goals straight away you have to work for it,” she said.

Angeli said it was unfortunate not a lot of older women had joined the sport, as during her first competition last April she was the only competitor in her age group.

“Power lifting for me has been very good and I encourage women to get into lifting as it’s not a hard sport and you can just progress slowly,” she said.

“When us women get into our 50s, we need to keep moving and with power lifting, you don’t have to do it for the competition but you should consider some form of weights to keep you going,” she said.

She said the key to start weightlifting at an older age was to think about your own personal journey and not be embarrassed as “people will look up to you and say you’re having a go”.

“It’s important to find a gym that works for you. I’m the oldest person but I’ve got younger girls and guys here and we all help each other,” she said.