The highs and lows of athlete life - by Weightlifter Hannah Powell

GB and Welsh weightlifter Hannah Powell tells us how she has dealt with the highs and lows of athlete life.

I began Weightlifting back in 2004, as an 11-year-old schoolgirl. When I started lifting, I weighed just 25kg and was very shy. I wasn’t the type of person you would expect to walk into the gym and ask to try out Weightlifting. However, my Dad and Uncle were Powerlifters when I was young, and I think I just wanted to try something similar.

Weightlifting gave me confidence and helped me develop as a person. At 14 I started competing in youth international competitions and attending national training squads, which was so exciting for me. I learned to be away from home and be part of a team. I made new friendships outside of my school and worked with different coaches. I also experienced competing in a more pressurised setting. I have competed at European Senior Championships, World Senior Championships and the Commonwealth Games in my 14 years lifting, as well as breaking a few British records and winning national titles.

My biggest aim of recent years was to medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 for Wales. I did compete at the Gold Coast, but the road to get there was altered quite dramatically when in July 2017 I dislocated my elbow and required surgery. 

With just nine months to go before the Commonwealth Games we were almost certain I would not make it. I faced missing my second in a row due to injury. There were some low points during this time and points where I was unsure if I would be able to return to lifting at all. 

I made a conscious effort to acknowledge those feelings, accept them and talk about them in order to overcome them. I was fortunate to work with a sport psychologist who helped me deal with this and it really helped me to stay positive. This was so important.  

Hannah with partner and fellow weightlifter Gareth Evans

Thanks to the word class support I received through Sport Wales and Weightlifting Wales, I beat the odds to recovery and managed to make the Games. 

This was an extremely proud moment of my life. I had overcome so much mentally and physically to be there and had to remain realistic. 

I am now back to full fitness and I have since competed at the European Championships 2019. Next up is the British Champs in June, followed by the Commonwealth Championships in July.

Sport is powerful. 

It can offer so much to a person - from the opportunity to make new friends, achieve sporting success, encourage a happy and healthy lifestyle, improved confidence and self-esteem and resilience.