This year has been quite an eventful year of weightlifting for champ and fashion designer, Laryne Jefferies.
She competed at the 2024 IWF World Cup in Thailand and represented South Africa at the African Games in Accra, Ghana.
Laryne was also honoured to bring home three bronze medals from the African Games.
She said the team support and energy among all the SA athletes from many different disciplines was truly heartwarming.
“Since being back in South Africa, I competed in the South African Weightlifting Championship held in Cape Town. I brought home gold in the female 76kg weight category (F76) and three new South African records in snatch (91kg), clean and Jjrk (109kg) and total (200kg),” Laryne said.
Since the SA champs, she said she has no immediate competitions coming up. Laryne has been focusing her energy on growing her successful fashion design business, which she is also passionate about.
“I still train for three hours a day, five days, with coach Matthew Hurn at Movement Crew Gym in Mulbarton. But my focus in training now is building more strength and refining technique. I am just enjoying the process so that the next time I step onto the competition platform I can bring an even stronger performance, set new records and break my current SA records,” Laryne explained.
She has also been coaching and assisting younger athletes to grow and learn in the sport.
“I think it’s crucial to grow the sport in South Africa and give back to the weightlifting community. Patience, consistency and a ‘never give up’ attitude are what create longevity and results in this sport or life as an entrepreneur.
“I feel weightlifting improves my mental as well as physical strength. If I can lift a bar that weighs more than my body weight, then I can do anything I set my mind to,” she said.
“Growing my capabilities is more of a personal journey than building towards international glory.”
