	Week Beginning 01/05/2009

LIFT 2009 - The Special Olympics Scotland Powerlifting Championships.

(Scott Bruce in action - Dead lifting 180kg)

The LIFT 2009 Special Olympics Scotland Powerlifting Championships hosted by Eliburn Powerlifting Club / Lothian Special Olympics (LSO) took place on Saturday 21st March 2009 in Livingston.

22 lifters from across Great Britain took part in the 14th staging of this event. There were 13 lifters from Scotland, 6 of them representing LSO as well as lifters from Birmingham, Gloucester, Bradford and Wolverhampton. This was a somewhat smaller event than usual; the current financial climate and the SO National Games later this year affected the entry. There are normally over 50 lifters that usually take part in this competition. A full complement of international referees and officials oversaw the event ensuring that full international standards were adhered to. Eliburn PLC provided the catering and this was organised by Caroline Bruce and Christine McSherry.

The Lothian lifters performed extremely well which reflected the high level of training undertaken by the Squad. Most of them train for at least 2 hours a session, 3 times a week.

At 67.5kg Darren Tait, from Musselburgh, won his weight class with a solid 320kg total.

Stoneyburn’s Christina McSherry continued her comeback to form with a 312.5 kg total, including a 125kg squat also in the 67.5kg class. Christina finished 2nd overall female lifter.

In winning 75kg class Scott Bruce from Livingston continued his domination of SO Powerlifting with a fine total of 465kg. Scott was awarded the Best Overall Male Lifter award and just failed in an attempt on his own Special Olympic best ever Bench Press record at 150kg. This would have been the greatest ever Bench Press by a Special Olympic lifter in the world!

Another Lothian resident, Danny Masterson from Livingston, won the 82.5 kg class with a PB total of 405kg.

In the Novice Class Lothian’s Peter Cameron from Broxburn performed well with a 205 kg total over 2 lifts.

Livingston’s Frances Skiftesvik, lifting in the 90kg+ class completed a full house of winners from Lothian with a fine 405kg total despite being hindered by a back injury.

Geraldine Fitzsimmons from Glasgow won the Best Overall Female Lifter award with 4 new Special Olympic and Scottish mainstream records, a great feat by any standard.

These performances illustrated the real class of the Scottish Lifters as Christina, Frances and Geraldine have all represented Scotland at full international level on numerous occasions.

The Lothian Squad who were coached by Robert McSherry and Andy Bruce, will now be training hard for the Special Olympic Great Britain National Games in Leicester in July and all hope to surpass their performances of the weekend.

David Hammond and the Eiliburn Powerlifting Club would like to thank Lothian Disability Sport for their financial contribution over the past 2 years. This funding goes a long way to ensure that the event successfully continues.

David Hammond