Whanganui lifter Amanda Foulkes was totally focused during her gold-winning performances at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in South Africa last week.
Whanganui lifter Amanda Foulkes was totally focused during her gold-winning performances at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in South Africa last week.
Diminutive Whanganui athlete Amanda Foulkes broke three New Zealand records and posted a personal best when claiming the Commonwealth 52kg women's open powerlifting title in South Africa last week.
The personal trainer and Wanganui Bootcamp instructor lifted 135kg in her squat, which was 10kg above the New Zealand record, benchpressed 67.5kg for a personal best and then deadlifted 167kg to set a new New Zealand record by 9kg.
Nine Kiwis competed at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in Potchefstroom, South Africa, although Foulkes was the only New Zealander in her weight class and the only lifter from Whanganui.
"I was a little bit disappointed in my squats, but happy with my deadlifts and bench presses," Foulkes said.
"All my training suggested I would make the weights I lifted in these disciplines, but the squats just didn't come up as expected. I have another competition at a Fitness Expo in Auckland in a month, so I can rectify that then."
Her 370kg total for the three disciplines in South Africa also broke the New Zealand record by 42kg.
For her efforts she returned home on Sunday carrying a cold virus which has hampered her training for Auckland.
"I felt it coming on a few days before we left for home when I had a sore throat. Normally I would have just trained through for Auckland, but I tried to do some on Monday and found I couldn't breathe, so I've taken the week off and start again maybe on Friday,' she said.
