Foxton teen Miniah Summerell qualified for her first international competition in February this year. Photo / Supplied
Foxton teen Miniah Summerell qualified for her first international competition in February this year. Photo / Supplied
Following on from her massive success in the weightlifting world last year, Foxton teen Miniah Summerell took out silver in her first international competition last month.
The Olympic Weightlifting NZ International event was held in Auckland over the last weekend in February, with Summerell competing in her age/weight class onthe Sunday morning.
Having qualified for this event through her results at the North Island championships in 2021, Summerell was both nervous and excited in the weeks leading up to heading to Auckland.
"I was excited to push further into the sport and see what improvements I'd made with the new training programme my coach had me on", said Summerell, "but I was also nervous about being watched by an international audience and what expectations they'd have of me."
Miniah Summerell's boss at Gavin Welsh Farriery is extremely supportive of his employee's weighlifting ambitions. Photo / Supplied
However, taking the Saturday to travel up to the event with mum Stevie Jane Harper gave Summerell time to settle her nerves and get in the zone.
As the event was also a sanctioned qualifier for this year's Commonwealth Games, there was the opportunity for Summerell to be around some of the best A grade weightlifters in New Zealand including Megan Signal and Cameron McTaggart.
On Sunday morning 18-year-old Summerell lined up with two other competitors in the Female 87kg+ class, a 15-year-old representing Niue and a 22-year-old representing the Cook Islands.
Summerell missed her final attempt in the snatch movement, ending with a result of 83kg, then missed her second attempt of 105kg in the clean and jerk.
Coach Shayne Nation with his silver medal winning weighlifter, Miniah Summerell, at the Olympic Weightlifting NZ International event in Auckland last month. Photo / Supplied
"I thought I knew how to improve on what I'd done wrong [in that attempt] so told [my coach] Shayne to put the number up to 109kg," she said.
Nailing the weight gave Summerell the silver medal in her class, with her total weight lifted over both movements just 4kg less than the gold medal winner.
With spectators not being allowed in the venue to watch the event, Summerell's mum had to watch her daughter's success via the online live feed, sitting in her car in the carpark, screaming with pride and delight.
Summerell's success at the Auckland event meant she qualified for the International Weightlifting Federation Junior World Championships in Greece this May.
Coach Shayne Nation is hugely proud of his protégé, and said Summerell's results were very well deserved.
"Miniah's very determined and hard-working … has both the talent and the work ethos."
With Summerell now working full-time for Gavin Welsh Farriery in Kapiti, Nation said it's also about finding a good balance between work and training – making sure she doesn't burn out.
Summerell is the second weightlifter Nation has coached to the Junior World Champs, after taking Samantha Hansen to Fiji in 2019.
However, he won't be joining Summerell in Greece this year because taking part in weightlifting events is completely self-funded – with a young family Nation can't afford to take time off work to support his rising star.
Summerell's boss, Gavin Welsh, is very supportive of her journey, fitting work around training where he can, and giving her time off to go to Greece to compete.
"Mum and I are leaving [New Zealand] on May 4 … I compete in my class on May 10, then we fly back home on May 11," Summerell said.
Getting to the Junior World Champs in six weeks is not a cheap exercise, so a Givealittle page has been set up to help Summerell fund her trip here. https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/18-year-old-foxton-based-lifter
"We're also running a couple of raffles and my coach's wife, Krystine [aka mummy blogger Real Life Wife] is planning a couple of events to help raise funds as well."
If any locals have other fundraising ideas that could help this talented young weightlifter from Foxton to achieve her dream on the world stage - text Miniah on 0204 190 1015, or message her coach Shayne via his business Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/nationbarbellclub/
