Hayling Island’s powerlifting priest is pumping weights for world championship in hopes of raising funds for local causes

The Rev Deborah Curram, associate minister for Hayling Island, has her eye on the powerlifting world championships in the hopes of raising funds for the three Church of England churches in Hayling Island and for charities supported by NHS Charities Together.

Deborah started lifting weights during the pandemic lockdown.

She trains alongside her 17-year-old son Huw, who is competing for Team GB in the World Powerlifting Championships in Pabianice, Poland.

The priest is aiming to powerlift a total of 222.5kg across the three disciplines of squat, benchpress and deadlift - the qualifying standard for the world championships.

She said: ‘I used to take Huw to the gym and competitions from the age of 14 onwards.

‘I’d often be sitting there in my dog collar, writing sermons on my computer while he was training.

‘I could see that the world of powerlifting is a real community – I was amazed at how much powerlifters care for each other.

‘I also got to hear some fascinating stories, including people for whom powerlifting was a route out of addiction.’

The family arrived in Hayling Island from Gloucestershire in 2019.

Deborah added: ‘When we moved to Hayling and then lockdown happened, we started to look for equipment online, so that Huw could continue his training at home.

‘I started doing some powerlifting myself in February this year, to keep Huw company, and discovered I enjoyed it.

‘If I was feeling a bit weary, this helped me to focus on something else.’

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Deborah is hoping others will sponsor her as she tries to lift the total that would be required to qualify for the world championships in her weight and age category.

Huw, a student at South Downs College, said: ‘It’s fantastic for me to have mum involved. If I train by myself, I can get sidetracked, but we can feed off each other’s energy.

‘Mum is also a good pupil. She does listen to what I tell her.

‘I’m currently studying to be a personal trainer, learning about nutrition and sports massage, and would love to study sports therapy at university. So this is really good practice as well.’

To sponsor Deborah, contact her on [email protected].

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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