US woman lifts 735 kg; breaks powerlifting Guinness World Record
Tamara Walcott from Mayland, USA recently broke the Guinness World Records after lifting a total of 1,620.4 pounds or 735 kg at a weightlifting competition held in Virginia. According to Guinness World Records, Walcott broke the record for the heaviest cumulative lift for bench/squat and press (female) at the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation American Pro held in Virginia's Manassas.
Walcott started powerlifting four years ago when she realized that she cannot invest time in baseball or basketball. Initially, she was aiming for weight loss and general fitness, and not setting new world records. "When I looked in my kids' eyes, I wanted to make sure that I was there for them, so I had to start taking care of me," she told Guinness.
Walcott wished to start something independently. "I walked into the gym and at that time I didn't know what powerlifting was," she said. When she managed to rack up 102 kg on the bar and attempted her first quarter squat, Walcott realized her passion. Slowly, she built up her weighed squat to 183.7 kg which took her two and a half years to master.
During Walcott's world record attempt, she placed 272.5 kg on the bar. Initially, she faced issues increasing the weight but gradually overcame her fear of benching. The bench press is done by lying on the bench and pressing the weight upward using a pair of dumbells or barbell. Having succeeded in her attempt of lifting 737.5 kg across three compound lifts, Walcott hopes that she inspires people to try powerlifting.
Walcott said, "We can be whoever we want to be, because you got me and the powerlifting community, arms wide open." "We are about cheering each other on and building each other up, so when you walk out into the world, you are so built up, that no one can tear you down," said the athlete explaining the culture in the field.
If you are hearing about the powerlifting competition for the first time, then let us tell you that it involves three lifts in total - the squat, the bench press, and a two-handed deadlift.
In another instance of marvelous records by female athletes, a British woman ran 106 marathons in 106 days consecutively! The athlete named Kate Jayden, of Derbyshire in England, started running marathons every day on December 31, 2021, covering a distance of 42.1 kilometers. She finished her power run on April 15, 2022. Jayden raised Rs. 41.5 lakh for asylum seekers and refugees running marathons.
