SERENA TAKES WORLD AND EUROPEAN TITLES IN MALTA
MACROOM woman, Serena Pierce, recently travelled to Malta to compete in the world championships for Powerlifting. It was very tough to lift over there as the venue was outside in the open and it was over 30 degrees some days.
Serena went over knowing she could set world records if she dropped a weight category so she was on a strict diet for weeks before the competition and also during it as she had to weigh in each of the three mornings before lifting.
On the Friday morning Serena completed the squat. Squatting 67.5kg she set another Irish record and also got gold and came first in her category.
Saturday was the bench press. After discovering she was 0.5 overweight, Serena had to don layers of clothes and went jogging up steps and around the beach in Malta in order to lose the weight. This was really tough as it was extremely hot and she couldn’t have food or water until after her re-weigh.
After 40 minutes of torture, Serena just made the weight for under 47.5kg. She quickly took in some food and water before starting to warm up for her lift. It was very intense lifting and she was feeling the aftermath of sudden weight loss but on her second lift she beat off her opponents to take the World and European record and couldn’t have been happier.
Serena also came first and got gold in the bench press.
She again discovered she was overweight by 0.4kg and had to repeat her gruelling regime of losing weight to make her grade and thankfully made weight after the re-weigh in at 47.5kg.
She opened with 80kg and took another World and European title and beat it, twice getting 90 kg as her top lift. She celebrated as she came first in her category and got gold.
“I would never have done it without the support from people at home and everyone who sponsored me for my trip to Malta, so I would like to thank everyone who supported me and helped me become a world champion,” a delighted Serena said