‘She Lifts’, the first female only powerlifting competition took place in Leicester this weekend.
The competition, which took place on Sunday (August 27) at Leicester’s Fitness Factory gym, was organised by Personal Trainer Jamila Karolia, owner of Jamila Fitness. Unlike other similar events taking place across the UK, this was the only competition where every participant, judge and spotter was a woman making it exclusively female-only and a first of its kind.
She Lifts was launched earlier this year in Batley to another sold out event which inspired the competition to come to Leicester. Places in the competition sold out within 3 weeks.
She Lifts was conceived for those new to the world of powerlifting as well as experienced lifters looking to challenge themselves or break their personal best in a healthy, competitive environment. The event featured judges from the world of powerlifting and was sponsored by surrounding businesses with a vested interest in supporting community projects.
Speaking about the success of this event, the organiser, Jamila Karolia said: “I’m still overwhelmed and so very humbled by how well She Lifts has been received and the demand it’s creating; in fact some of our competitors are already seeking out more competitions to participate in.
“There are so many powerful women out there and I’m glad that She Lifts gives just some of them a stage to show everyone who they are, what they can do and the strength behind them. As a powerlifter coach myself, it gives me such a boost to know I can use my experience to inspire more girls to believe that they can do whatever they put their mind to, and to show the world their power, both inside and out.
“This is our second event and our participants are already lining up for the next one… we’ve started to plan the next event in the UK, so watch this space!”
17 women competed in three different lifts: squat, bench press and the conventional deadlift.
The winning ranked lifters received bronze, silver and gold medals, and are ranked respectively by their weight group:
1. Sam Bell from Leicester
2. Zara Anwar from Normanton
3. Imogen Cresswell from Leicester
Jamila Fitness was joined by a panel of guest judges: Emma Stone, GB Powerlifting Divisional Referee, Aliya Rashid, BPF Best Overall Female Lifter 2022 and Umaymah Makda, Gymshark Athlete.
You can learn more about the event, and the results by following Jamila Fitness on Instagram www.instagram.com/jamila__fitness/
