Local lifter moves on to world stage
Competing at the International Powerlifting Federation Commonwealth Games is a feat for any athlete, but for one Tūrangi local it marks a short but meteoric rise in the sport.
Raina Ferris-Bretherton will be lifting in the competition, which takes place this week in Auckland. Remarkably, she only began training at Peak Fitness in Tū rangi with coach Quinn Matene in February.
She will take on the Masters I Division for women aged 40-50, under 84kg. Sixteen nations will compete in the games, which take place for the first time since 2019 due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Quinn says Raina is a great example of how powerlifting has become appealing to a wider range of people.
“It’s a very accessible sport, and it’s grown in popularity.”
Just six months into her training, Raina won a regional competition, followed shortly after by a second place finish at nationals.
This led her to successfully apply for the national powerlifting team in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, which will be held in New Zealand for the third time.
The international competition will see Raina undertake three lifts — a squat, bench press and deadlift- to show her skills in her category on December 1. All categories will be streamed online.
The competition will be busy for Quinn, too, as he will act as assistant coach for the New Zealand team, offering help alongside the main coach at the weeklong event.