Caitlin powerlifts to more records

Caitlin Poxon once again broke records when she participated in the Women’s and Men’s Open, Junior and Masters African Classic Powerlifting Championship.

The competition was held in Potchefstroom last month and Caitlin, representing South Africa, set new South African sub-junior records for Bench Press, Squat and Total Weight Lifted (265kg). The 15-year-old was competing in the 63kg category. Caitlin has had an exceptional 12 months in a sport she started late last year.

Caitlin started powerlifting last year after she attended a competition in Pretoria with her family. She found the sport interesting and wanted to experience it. After just a few lifts at her gym, she was hooked and has been training with her coach Mark Nel since. She has been extremely dedicated and trains regularly, a minimum of 4 times a week, at night after school activities and homework.

Just this year alone, Caitlin won gold, and she was crowned South African champion in the sub-junior 14 to 19 years age group at the SAPF National Powerlifting Championships in March. She then went on to compete at the Arnold Classic Africa Powerlifting hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre in May.

Here she competed in the junior division where she set a new SA sub-junior Deadlift record for her age and weight division. In September, Caitlin participated in the Gauteng Powerlifting Championships hosted at St Stithians and defended her 2015 crown, winning a gold medal and qualifying for the SAPF National Powerlifting championships in March next year. She also set an unofficial sub-junior SA records in Bench Press, Deadlift and Total Weight Lifted.

She may be just 15 years old but Caitlin has been giving powerlifters much older than she is a run for their money. She was the youngest-ever South African representative at the IPF World Classic Championships earlier this year. At the Arnold Classic and Africa Championships, there was no sub-junior division (14 to 19 years old) and she had to compete with older powerlifters.

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