Last month, two Royal Navy Submariners represented the Silent Service at the first-ever British Powerlifting and World Para Powerlifting via British Weightlifting Bench Press Championships in Newark. Both uniting for the first time in an inclusive championship, bringing para and able-bodied athletes on one platform.

World Para Powerlifting, under the governance of the International Paralympic Committee, acts as the international federation for the sport and is open to male and female athletes with eight eligible physical impairments, athletes compete in one sport class across 10 different weight categories per gender.

Powerlifting is one of the Paralympic Movement’s fastest-growing sports in terms of participants and is now practised in nearly 100 countries. This competition represented the ultimate test of upper body strength with athletes competing in the bench press discipline.

Competitors must lower the bar to their chest, hold it motionless on the chest and then press it upwards to arms-length with locked elbows. Athletes are given three attempts and the winner is the athlete who lifts the highest number of kilograms.

Petty Officer Wesley McGuinness quoted “This event today stands for more than just a competition, it is a celebration of unity, strength, and accessibility in sport. Powerlifting has such a strong purpose, empowers us all and helps develop a wide range of skills beyond the platform such as determination, resilience, teamwork, and respect which are just a few of the core values of this sport and the mentality it can promote.

The Submarine Family awarded a grant earlier this year along with We Remember Submariners and Naval Service Sports Charity to support Petty Officer Wesley McGuinness in attending the powerlifting calendar in 2024.