Raymond O'Rourke competes in the bench press the Asia Africa Pacific Powerlifting Championships in Himeji, Japan.
Raymond O'Rourke competes in the bench press the Asia Africa Pacific Powerlifting Championships in Himeji, Japan.
A Napier man has bench pressed more than double his body weight and is now one of the top powerlifters in Oceania in his division.
That’s despite only starting the sport while studying at university.
Raymond O’Rourke, 22, became the New Zealand under-75kg national powerlifting champion in May.
He thenrepresented New Zealand for a second time – his first was in South Africa in 2024 – at an international powerlifting competition at the Asia-Africa Pacific Championships in Himeji, Japan.
O’Rourke returned home from Japan with a silver medal in the under-75kg category, after he lifted a combined total of 652.5kg across the squat, bench and deadlift.
He also set a New Zealand and Oceania under-75 bench press record at the comp of 162.5kg.
For those of you keeping an eye on cost of living headlines that’s the equivalent weight of $3250 worth of butter (at $10 per 500g), or $3040 worth of Mainland Tasty Cheddar (at $18.69 per kilo).
He said competing in powerlifting is different to mainstream sports, with competitors having to squat, bench press, then deadlift large weights, with each competitor having three attempts at each station.
“Your attempts are usually structured to build a solid total, which is how you compare to your competition, with your final lifts pushing your limits,” he said.
O’Rourke says the bench press is his favourite lift at the moment, but it does change.
“Between the technique, pausing and calls it’s easily the most technical lift,” he said.
“Controlling a weight more than twice your body weight and being able to press it off your chest to me is really a feat of upper body strength. And seeing other athletes do that never ceases to amaze me.”
O’Rourke grew up in Napier and attended Napier Boys’ High School.
While there he was a keen rugby player, but soon found himself on the athletics track, specialising in the 400m.
“I was attracted to the way of measuring your progress directly with a time‚” O’Rourke said.
“Over three years of running track, I learnt a lot about myself, what work effort looked like.”
After high school, O’Rourke moved to Christchurch for university and was unable to continue his athletics training.
However, halfway through his engineering degree, a flatmate told him he would make a great powerlifter and he should enter a competition. O’Rourke was keen and entered.
Raymond O'Rourke (left) on the dais at the 2025 Asia Africa Pacific Powerlifting Championships in Himeji, Japan.
He set out training without a coach and after his first competition, he knew he had found his next sport.
But studying and powerlifting training simultaneously had its challenges.
“Lecturers would likely not recommend spending 15 hours a week in the gym while studying a bachelor’s of mechanical engineering with honours, but it did teach me a lot about time management,” he said.
O’Rourke’s next goal is to compete at the Junior Powerlifting Championships next year, but until then he is training to become a marine engineer with the Navy.
He says powerlifting is a great sport anyone can get into and he encourages those interested to look online at the plentiful resources there.
He says his best advice for those wanting to excel is simple, though: get a coach.
Raymond O'Rourke (right) and his coach James Schroder celebrate O'Rourke's success at the 2025 the Asia Africa Pacific Powerlifting Championships in Himeji, Japan.
“My coach James Schroder has coached many international lifters to world titles and medals and the experience they provide – including game-day attempt selection – is invaluable,” he said.
“Having a good coach ensures your efforts are taking you as far as possible.”
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier.
