A weightlifter from Kelowna is headed to the World Championships in Thailand this spring.
Athlete Kayla Shepard has only been competing in Olympic-style weightlifting for four short years, said her coach Guy Greavette.
“She has progressed quite well,” he said.
Greavette is the head coach of the Kelowna Vikings Weightlifting Club. With pride in his voice, Greavette said that during Shepard’s short time with the club, she has become one of the best weight lifters in Canada and hopes to one day compete in the Olympics.
He explained that there is a ranking algorithm for all Olympic lifters, male and female of all weight categories who compete in Canada. Out of all the Olympic lifters in Canada, Shepard is ranked in the 20th spot.
@kelownacapnews Kelowna athlete one of the strongest (pound for pound) Olympic weightlifters in Canada. #olympicweightlifting #weightlifting #womenwholift #kelowna ♬ Beautiful Things - Benson Boone
Greavette attributes Shepard’s success to her experience as a multi-sport athlete, her consistent work ethic, goal setting and desire to achieve her full potential at the highest level.
Shepard’s athletic career first began as a dancer. She then started weightlifting in her early teens while competing on the national stage in snowboard cross. After retiring from competitions on the slopes, Shepard found CrossFit.
Before long, Shepard transitioned to Olympic lifting and eventually started training full-time training with the Vikings. She still competes in occasional Cross Fit competitions but predominantly focuses on Olympic lifting.
She now trains lifting five days a week and each session takes two to three hours, in addition to additional injury prevention exercises. Coach Greavette said that in the lead,up to worlds, Shepard will be focusing on building volume and intensity.
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He said that the 59kg weight class that she competes in is one of the most competitive categories.
Shepard last competed internationally at her second-ever international competition, the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships which were held in India last July. At the Commonwealth meet, Shepard narrowly missed the podium and finished in fourth.
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“My last international competition in India was not my best performance,” said Shepard.
“I didn’t feel confident in my preparations and it showed on the platform.”
Now, Shepard says she had a full training block leading up to the World Cup in Thailand.
She built on her experience in India to win the Western Canadian Weightlifting Championships in November, and set two new provincial record in the process. Shepard said she is proud to have broken the total combined lift record, which stood for 20 years.
“It’s been a tough year but I am really proud to have come back and ended the year on a high, looking forward to continuing building from here,” said Shepard after the Western Championships.
At the upcoming Worlds competition in Thailand, Shepard’s teammate will be Canada’s reining Olympic Champion Maude Charron.
“I’m excited to make more lifts, compete on a much bigger stage, and get to share a training hall with the best athletes in the world,” said Shepard.
People can follow Shepard’s progress on the Vikings Weightlifting Club’s website, on Facebook or on Instagram.
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