Powerlifting: U-52kg dead lift world record holder Farhanna aims even higher

SINGAPORE - At her first mock powerlifting meet in 2017, Farhanna Farid "casually" broke the national record despite having never trained formally in the sport.

While that spoke volumes of her potential then, she still never imagined she would one day hold a world record. Until she actually did.

At the World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships 2022 in South Africa in June, Farhanna dead-lifted 197kg in the women's Under-52kg open category to eclipse the previous record by 0.5kg.

She later topped that with a 200.5kg effort on her final lift, which also won her the gold medal - Singapore's first world championship title.

Powerlifting has three components - the squat, the bench press and the dead lift.

Reflecting on her triumph a few weeks later, the 29-year-old told The Straits Times: "The first time I picked up a barbell, I did a sort of curtsy while bending down to pick it up and my boyfriend asked me why I was picking it up that way.

"I was not born to lift, it's not as though I've always wanted to do it. I stumbled upon it, found the beauty of it and stuck to it. One thing led to another and there's always that stubbornness and curiosity in me and I wanted to push my limits, so that's where we are now."

While she had lifted weights in the gym regularly with her boyfriend James Barcelo - also a powerlifter - she never had formal training. But, during a mock meet at the gym, she decided to test herself.

"I can't remember the exact number but my boyfriend did a check and said 'Do you know you just casually pulled the national record?'.

"I didn't even know what that meant but we knew we had to make something out of this because there's some potential. At that point, I felt like I had nothing to lose and I was curious to see where this might lead me so I took that leap of faith and decided to train (with a powerlifting coach)."

After starting training proper in 2018, she entered her first competition in April that year and broke the national record again - formally this time.

Her upward trajectory continued with her first international meet in December 2018, when she won three gold medals in the U-52kg open category at the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship 2018.

She has changed her diet to incorporate more protein and water and she also sleeps more to help with the recovery process. She has reduced her junk food intake but she is still OK with having the occasional burger.

The medical information officer said: "Pizza wouldn't be good food usually but it's good for my mental health, it's soul food. As long as I have a balanced meal, I can keep myself in check and that hasn't changed."

While her parents initially had reservations about the sport, they now support her. It also helped that she can now do the heavy lifting for the family, she quipped.

"Lifting was not a very common thing, especially for girls, so it was foreign to them. Inviting them to my competitions to see the culmination of all my hard work helped garner their support.

"The last time we moved house, my youngest sister, who is also a powerlifter, and I were the ones who carried the heavy furniture. Clearly, they've accepted us!"

What started by accident has turned into a full-blown passion that Farhanna sees herself doing for the long haul.

Besides setting more world records and personal growth, she also hopes to grow the sport in Singapore and help girls learn to appreciate their individuality - just as she has.

She said: "It sounds funny but I've found beauty in diversity. With powerlifting, there's no such thing as one good form or technique because we all have our own leverages. I appreciate that we move to our body's advantages because it shows there's an individual uniqueness in each of us.

"We're all human and we can get critical of ourselves by comparing ourselves with the girl next to us or the girl we see on Instagram. It reaches a point where you see it's endless until you start appreciating your body for what it's worth.

"Once I started appreciating how it moves and how strong it is, it didn't matter how it looked because there's beauty beyond the surface. I think a lot of girls have yet to see that (about themselves) but they're discovering it.

Farhanna also started coaching in October 2020 and now has over 10 students.

"I see the masters lifters who are still strong and competitive. That shows there's a place for powerlifting for everyone at different points of your life. I'm curious to see how far I can push this and I'm not bad at it, so I want to keep pushing the limit for myself and the sport.

"I've learnt so much through the years and I feel I'm in a position where I can inspire and empower others. It's my way of paying it forward and growing the sport.

"It's still not that recognised but seeing how many young athletes we have, it shows our potential. I hope that this is only the start for powerlifting in Singapore."