Powerlifting teen books ticket to world championships

The St Bede's Catholic College, Chisholm Year 10 student has qualified for the International Powerlifting Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting World Championships after being named champion in her weight category at nationals.

The world championships are being held in Malta in August, and Harper is feeling good about the competition.

"I'm very excited," she said.

At nationals on April 26 to 28, Harper was named the Australian under 52kg Sub-Junior Women's Champion, winning all of her lifts; squat, bench press and deadlift.

She achieved a 105kg squat, 75kg bench press and 140kg deadlift, and is the second Australian in International Powerlifting Federation history to attend world's as an u52kg sub junior.

Harper, who trains under Aiden Potts at Hunter Performance Centre, said powerlifting is a sport that makes her feel good.

"I'm around good people and I get excited to go to the gym every day because it's something to look forward to, because you always have a goal, it could be a comp or a specific number, but you've always got something to look forward to and you just try as hard as you can to get that," she said.

She said her goal for worlds is to increase her deadlift weight.

"I'm hoping to get a big deadlift to take to worlds and I want to do the best I can at worlds and see how it goes," she said.

"I'm going to train as best as I can and make sure I don't get hurt again, I don't want any more injuries."

Four weeks out from nationals Harper strained her glute, but she was still able to add 10kg to her deadlift for the competition.

Harper has only been lifting for just over a year and has seen great progress in her lifts from her first competition, where she achieved a 65kg squat, 40kg bench press and 92.5kg deadlift.

Currently she is training four times a week, and nutrition-wise is focusing on building muscle while staying in her weight category.

She said her coach Aiden Potts has been integral to her success.

"I really appreciate what my coach does for me, because he helps me so much," she said.

"He's really supportive and he's always there and always helping. He's not like any other coach I've had before."

She said she could never really get to know or feel comfortable with other coaches and never developed an athlete-coach relationship until now.

Harper made the switch to powerlifting after training in gymnastics and diving.

Her mum Eri said she is extremely proud of her daughter.

"It's something she loves to do," she said.

Harper's family is fundraising to help get her to Malta.

Visit gofundme.com/f/help-maddi-go-to-ipf-sub-junior-worlds-in-malta if you would like to contribute.