AFTER her record-breaking heroics in the Junior 84kg category last Sunday at the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation’s (GAPLF) Intermediates/Masters Championships, Runita White spoke to Chronicle Sport about her achievements and how it feels to be in this position right now.
Looking back on the day of the event she noted; “I was excited, overwhelmed and just happy but after that, I was in a state of shock (after setting the new records). I have great trainers (Martin Webster and Andrea Smith) who constantly push me towards achieving my goals as it relates to powerlifting, I was in shock that my body did what it did.
“Of course, there’s a mind factor behind it and prior to the day of the competition and on the day, I told myself that my goal was to deadlift 405lb (183.705kg). Obviously, I sold myself short because I went out there and did 430lb (195kg) instead.”
Touching on the records she set, White pointed out; “Going into the competition I wasn’t aware that I would be breaking that many records, to be honest. Then after doing squats, I went over to Martin and he said, ‘Your job isn’t done yet. You’re going to have to break the bench press and deadlift record in order to break the total record’; so, it was no longer me just going out there, lifting heavy and being happy that I just got a lift. I now needed to be strategic and careful to receive a good lift from the judges to make the total record.”
The ever-humble White acknowledged the great female powerlifters who all set the standards in Guyana; “if I didn’t say thank you to women like Dawn Barker and Kimberly Mars-Loncke who were great powerlifters on that platform, breaking records and paving the way for me, it would be rude”.
White. who deadlifted 195kg (430lb) in the Raw (Classic) 84kg category, set an unofficial FESUPO (South American Powerlifting Federation) record.
“Even though the lift is an unofficial FESUPO record, it’s an amazing feeling to know that I did something like that.”
Up next for Runita is the GAPLF’s Raw Nationals Championship; to this order she revealed that she will be training consistently in order to give a better performance at the championship.
White, who is also a member of the GAPLF administration, is also encouraging more women to join the sport.
“It’s a dream of mine to have a full flight of 16 women competing at a meet. Could you imagine how awesome that would be?”
She pointed out; “Years ago only one or two women used to be on the platform and now we have many more. In the 72kg category we have 6 women who compete. This means that we’re making improvements”.
Complete list of records set at GAPLF’s Intermediates/Masters Championship:
Runita White
Squat (165kg), Bench Press (67.5kg) and the Deadlift (195kg) along with her total weight lifted (427.5kg) 84+kg Junior and Open Raw Records
Unofficial FESUPO 84+kg Deadlift record
Official FESUPO Record Holder Judith Reitmann of Uruguay (188kg Deadlift)
Nadina Taharally
Squat (135kg), Bench Press (70kg), Deadlift (165kg) and total (370kg) – 72kg Open and Master 1 Raw Records
Jackquelyn Toney
Deadlift Open and Master 1 Raw Record 145kg
84kg Open and Master 1 Total Record – 335kg
Martin Webster
105kg Raw Master 1 and Masters 2 records – Squat (200kg), Bench Press (130kg)
105kg Masters 2 Record – Deadlift (183kg)
Noel Cummings
66kg Masters 4 Raw- squat (120kg), bench press (87.5kg), deadlift (150kg), total weight (357.5kg)
Bjorn Williams
105kg Raw Open Deadlift Record
Colin Chesney
120kg Equipped Master 1 Bench Press Record
Deonarine Dutt
Squat 200kg, Deadlift 195kg and total 492.5kg, (74kg Masters 1) National Records
Vijai Rahim
National Equipped 74kg Open Deadlift record 287.5kg
Franklyn Brisport-Luke
66kg Equipped Masters 2 Records
Squat = 147.5kg
Bench Press = 72.5kg
Deadlift = 160kg
Total = 380kg
Guest Lifters
Blossom Babb
84kg Open Raw Deadlift Record
Tineisha Toney
Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift and Total 63kg Female Junior Raw Records
Vijai Rahim
74kg Open Equipped Deadlift Record
Carlos Petterson
93kg Open Equipped Deadlift and Total Record
