CARRYING WEIGHT OF EXPECTATION
HAIRDRESSER Brigot Pugh will drop her scissors and attempt to lift more than three times her body weight in a world record breaker at next week’s IPF Classic World Championships.
The 48- year- old Townsville powerlifter will attempt to lift 190kg and smash the current under- 57kg masters raw division dead lift world record of 180kg in Canada next Friday.
Pugh ( pictured) made massive improvements since she first started lifting in 2016 as a means of correcting her posture from years working in salons.
“I was lifting 110kg and I’m now lifting 185.5kg, that’s my PB,” Pugh said. “I’m already 500g over ( the current world record).
“I only joined the gym to correct posture problems. I had no strength training background.”
Pugh competed in her first competition in March 2016, after she felt inspired watching her trainer Kerrin Gibbs lift in a competition the year before. The pair first trained together using video calls as Gibbs lived in Brisbane. While it wasn’t the best means of training, Gibbs said Pugh was always motivated. “She’s very intrinsically motivated,” he said. When lifting more than three times her body weight, Pugh said her mind blanked.
“You can’t have anything in your mind,” she said. “You don’t even see or hear anyone.
“Overthinking can interfere with your lifting.”