Recent Otago graduate Charlotte Worley prepares for her powerlifting event at the Junior World Championships in Malta this year.
So how much can you bench?
That’s the first question Otago graduate Charlotte Worley gets asked when people find out she’s a powerlifter.
Charlotte – who’s just completed a Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Distinction and was awarded the Athletic Shield prize for academic excellence and sporting achievement at her graduation this month – represented New Zealand at the Junior World Championships in Malta this year, something she couldn’t have even imagined when she first started University.
“I started lifting to get strong for track/road cycling but in my second year at Otago I was squatting at Unipol and someone said that I have a really good squat and should try powerlifting.
“I wasn't too keen at first because I had no upper body strength and could only bench the bar (20kg), but they convinced me to sign up for a competition in Dunedin and after that I was hooked.”
While powerlifting is still a male-dominated sport, there's been “a crazy increase” in women competing and lifting, and the popularity of powerlifting in general is increasing.
For Charlotte, it’s the people that make the sport so appealing.
“I've met like-minded people from all over the world and train with a super supportive crew every day, so it’s pretty cool to be a part of.
“I also love the patience and consistency that's needed. Often we'll train for six months just for our lifts to increase by 2.5kg, but that just makes the personal bests more exciting when they happen. Powerlifting is a long-term game, there are no short cuts.”
Competing in Malta was an incredible experience both for the beauty of the place and the atmosphere of being surrounded by other lifters.
“There's nothing quite like seeing all the work you've put in come together. I competed on Father's Day after losing my Dad suddenly last year, so it was pretty special doing it for him.” – Charlotte Worley
“I'm very grateful for all the generous people who supported me in getting to Malta. Powerlifting is entirely self-funded so competing at Worlds wouldn’t have been possible without it.”
Charlotte placed third overall, took third place in bench press and achieved three personal bests.
“It couldn't have gone much better. I broke two National and Oceania Records and broke a Commonwealth record in bench press with 120kg.
“There's nothing quite like seeing all the work you've put in come together. I competed on Father's Day after losing my Dad suddenly last year, so it was pretty special doing it for him.”
Charlotte also competed at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 where she came away with four gold medals, and the Junior World Championships last year where she placed second in bench and deadlift – an amazing result considering she was injured.
“I had a L3/L4 disc bulge three weeks prior to World Championships last year in Romania. I was devastated as the pain was so severe I thought I couldn't compete and for the next couple of weeks I could only squat 20kg.
“Anne at Arete Physiotherapy in Dunedin was incredible in my recovery though, and I ended up competing on lots of pain meds, caffeine and adrenaline, which I do not recommend.”
Charlotte’s first-hand experience with injuries played a major role in choosing her course at Otago.
“I chose to study physiotherapy after competing in trampolining for 10 years and managing a lumbar stress fracture, which I saw some amazing physios for.
“This definitely sparked my interest in it and now I couldn't imagine doing anything else.”
Sometimes the best way to know how to treat an injury is to have had that injury yourself, she says.
“I know what it’s like and how scary it is to feel like you can't move because of the pain.
“It also helps being able to relate to athletes and the amount of pressure and distress they feel when they can't compete or train in their sport.”
Charlotte received the Athletic Shield prize for academic excellence and sporting achievement at her graduation this month.
Charlotte takes a lot of good memories away with her as she farewells Otago.
“Some of the highlights include my first year in the halls at Cumberland College and O Week. St Patrick's Day was always a blast as was the Physio Ball.
“I also loved being able to get hands on during physio labs and practical classes. There were always lots of laughs as we tried performing different physio techniques on each other.”
She especially enjoyed her placements in her fourth year of physio as it gave her the opportunity to put her learning into practice.
“It was so awesome to finally see everything I've learnt come together and know that I was actually making a difference in my patients’ lives.
“I had always thought I'd go into sports physio in a clinic because of my sports background but I loved my placements at Christchurch Hospital (General surgery and Cardiothoracics) and Burwood Spinal Unit. I've just accepted a job offer for a rotational physiotherapist position at Wairau Hospital in Blenheim so I'm moving there in the New Year.”
When it comes to her powerlifting, Charlotte is moving up into the Open Age category in 2025 and is aiming to compete at the Asian African Pacific Championships in Himeji, Japan, in July.
And if you’re wondering what the answer to that most frequently asked question is …
“I can squat 200kg, bench press 120kg and deadlift 213kg.”