Banned muscle Brendan Southwick finds new limelight

THE poster boy of a Darwin gym, who told a lifestyle magazine he had “worked his guts out” for everything he had, was banned from competitive weightlifting earlier in the year after testing positive to a banned substance

Brendan Southwick

THE poster boy of a Darwin gym, who told a lifestyle magazine he had “worked his guts out” for everything he had, was banned from competitive weightlifting earlier in the year after testing positive to a banned substance.

Crossfit NT owner Brendan Southwick appears on the cover of the latest edition of Darwin Life magazine, and in an interview discusses his “inspiration” and how he helps people on their “fitness journeys”.

“Being the underdog, I came from nothing and worked my guts out for everything I have,” Mr Southwick said in the interview.

The magazine’s publisher wrote that Mr Southwick was “relentless”. “I am proud and in awe of his tenacity and determination to stand out from the rest, a testament to his continued success,” it says.

In May, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority recognised the Australian Weightlifting Federation’s decision to ban Mr Southwick from the sport for four years after he returned a positive test for an animal steroid, Clenbuterol, and a masking agent, Furosemide.

Clenbuterol is not approved for use on humans in Australia, and Furosemide, a prescription medication, is a banned substance for athletes, both in and out of competition, a statement said.

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Mr Southwick’s positive drug test dates from last year’s NT Weightlifting Association Open, when he was in training to take “one last crack” at representing the country at the Commonwealth Games.

Anti-doping authorities banned Mr Southwick after his first sample came back from an interstate testing laboratory, and in May this year deemed he had waived his right to contest the ban.

Mr Southwick is banned from all sports with a compliant drug policy until 2021.