"For the most part, men are usually in awe of what I do"

I competed in two local competitions within my first year, and for my third competition represented Singapore at the 2018 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships in Mongolia. I will never forget the goosebumps and the pride I felt hearing our national anthem after I clinched Singapore’s first gold medal in the Open Age Category.

In terms of gender representation, I’d say that when powerlifting in Singapore was in its infancy a decade ago, we only had a handful of athletes, and there were definitely more males than females. However, in recent times, our team sent 14 athletes to compete at the Singapore Powerlifting Opens, nine of whom were female.

I’ve never been subjected to discrimination because of my gender and, for the most part, men are usually in awe of what I do and are highly supportive of my passion. If anything, I actually get some form of resistance from women: They question why I do this and why I ‘want to look muscular’. That said, I believe it comes from a place of concern or curiosity.

There are definitely more women gracing the gym floor nowadays, and I think this change is here to stay. We are starting to accept that beauty comes in all shapes and forms, and women are realising how empowering lifting can be, both physically and mentally. The recent overtones of female empowerment have also propelled women to push themselves beyond their boundaries.

My advice to women looking to get into powerlifting? Talk to folks in the sport and ask for advice – slide into my DMs! As with most sports, learn the basics, and master the form and technique first. Also, don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by numbers: with the right programming, the strength will come. Lastly, turning up at the gym is a win in itself, so just show up."

This story first appeared in the April 2022 issue of Her World.