NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Tauranga woman Karen Humphreys to defend world powerlifting title in October

By Debbie Griffiths
SunLive·
15 Aug, 2024 10:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Karen Humphreys in the gym in Judea. Photo / John Borren.

Karen Humphreys in the gym in Judea. Photo / John Borren.

Ōmanawa woman Karen Humphreys admits having a lot of nerves as she prepares to defend her world powerlifting title in October.

The 61-year-old will represent New Zealand at the IPF World Classic and Equipped Masters Powerlifting Champs and the Commonwealth Powerlifting Champs at one huge event being held in Sun City, South Africa from October 4-13.

But it’s not the competition or being on stage that triggers her jitters.

“I can totally wipe the crowd out of my mind. For me, the nerves are about the possibility of letting down my supporters.

“That’s my biggest ‘in here’ problem,” she said, tapping her head.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Because I do know that everyone’s behind me.”

Humphreys’ fitness journey began with the loss of her son to leukaemia 11 years ago.

“One of our daughters had just qualified as a personal trainer, and I’d spent so many months with our son in hospital doing nothing that she said, ‘Right, Mum, it’s time for you’.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She threw herself into triathlons, half-marathons, mud runs and then boxing at the age of 50, before joining Mike Jones’s Ruthless Barbell Club in Judea five years ago.

Six months later, she competed in her first powerlifting competition.

“Since then, she’s done 14 events, winning multiple national titles, the Commonwealth Championships in 2022; and then last year she won the world championships in Mongolia,” Jones said.

Karen Humphreys in the gym in Judea with her coach, Mike Jones. Photo / John Borren
Karen Humphreys in the gym in Judea with her coach, Mike Jones. Photo / John Borren

Humphreys cleaned up against her international competitors in Mongolia - winning gold for a 117.5kg squat and a 145kg deadlift, and taking silver for a 60kg bench in her division.

What’s more, her squat, deadlift and overall total broke a new Commonwealth record.

“She’ll be going for her second Commonwealth gold this year,” Jones said.

She trained four days a week for up to three hours each session and fitted this into her working week.

“I started like anyone else; lifting tiny weights around a tenth of what I lift now. I’ve got to treat my body for its age.

“Unlike the younger powerlifters who walk into the gym and jump straight under a bar, I spend 25 minutes warming up with rowing and stretching before I do any lifting at all.”

Now she squats double her body weight and will be among 43 Kiwi athletes heading to the double competition. Jones had been selected as one of three head coaches for the New Zealand team.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“I’m very proud of what she’s achieved. She’s determined in everything she does; what she eats, how she trains, everything. The effort she puts in is what makes the difference.”

“I have to calorie count like you wouldn’t believe because we have to stay within a 5kg range,” Humphreys said.

“So at the moment, I’m watching everything, right down to every teaspoon of Olivani spread and every quarter cup of oat milk - just making sure my carbs, fats and protein are all in balance.”

Jones said it was rare to see this kind of dedication.

“I’m surrounded by athletes and I coach high-level competitors, so I get to see that focus and mindset more than other people - and I can tell you from that perspective that it’s really impressive what Karen does.”

“She has a good chance of pulling off another win.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

- SunLive

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Politics

Peeni Henare selected as Labour's candidate in Tāmaki Makaurau

13 Jul 02:08 AM
New Zealand

'Increased risk': Warnings after DJ dies from fatal drug mix at Splore music festival

13 Jul 01:00 AM
New Zealand

NZ Youth Choir wins 'Choir of the World' at international festival

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Peeni Henare selected as Labour's candidate in Tāmaki Makaurau

Peeni Henare selected as Labour's candidate in Tāmaki Makaurau

13 Jul 02:08 AM

Henare, who previously served as the Auckland seat's MP, faces off with Oriini Kaipara.

'Increased risk': Warnings after DJ dies from fatal drug mix at Splore music festival

'Increased risk': Warnings after DJ dies from fatal drug mix at Splore music festival

13 Jul 01:00 AM
NZ Youth Choir wins 'Choir of the World' at international festival

NZ Youth Choir wins 'Choir of the World' at international festival

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

12 Jul 11:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP