Power lifting dynamite breaks 4 records
As a junior champion and record holder, Ashleigh has set her sights on achieving more greater things in the sport.
ASHLEIGH Marais (21) from Gillitts is proof that size doesn’t matter and that dynamite does come in small packages.
World power lifting junior champion and record holder, Marais is 1.4m tall and weighs just 56kg, and can do a 90kg bench press, 140kg squats and 170.5kg dead lifts. She broke records for all three.
She was crowned the strongest junior champion in the world in the under 56kg category at the GPC World Championship Power Lifting competition, which took place in Los Vegas in September.
She started training to be a body builder in 2012 but stopped after her coach told her lifting lifting heavy would affect her performance on stage.
She still wanted to fulfill her love for power lifting, which is when she heard about strongman, and her power lifting career began.
“My size is very unassuming, people are surprised with what I’m capable of doing,” said Marais.
She said she still wants to achieve greater things in her sport and not remain at the junior level forever.
“Sport contributes to my confidence as a person, there is a lot of discipline involved,” she said.
The world champ trains on her own at the gym with the assistance of her mentor, Claude Parnell, and the support of her family.
Marais went to Kloof High School and is currently studying to become a teacher. She has a passion for teaching and one day hopes to become a motivational speaker.
“No matter how big or small you are, you can do all that you put your mind to,” she said.
