Okanagan woman sets weightlifting records at 55

A Summerland woman is defying naysayers and is preparing to compete in weightlifting events at the World Masters Games in New Zealand this April.

Shirlee Petrat only began lifting weights at the age of 52 and can now lift a combined total of 83 kilograms.

“I was told I was too old to lift,” said Petrat, with a laugh.

Now 55, Petrat has already broken and set new records in B.C. and is expected to win medals at the international event, her first outside of Canada.

“She should break quite a number of records in New Zealand,” her coach Guy Greavette said.

“She holds the provincial records for her weight category in the 50 to 54 [age category} but she’s moving into the 55 to 59 [age category]. And in that age group, she should beat all the World Masters games records, Canadian records, and set B.C. records because nobody has lifted it in that age group in that category before.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "She holds the provincial records for her weight category in the 50 to 54 [age category} but she's moving into the 55 to 59 [age category]. And in that age group, she should beat all the World Masters games records, Canadian records, and set B.C. records because nobody has lifted it in that age group in that category before."

Petrat has been active since she was 19, through aerobics, personal training and yoga. She even owned her own health club.

“Over the years I was introduce to weightlifting through CrossFit,” she said. “I didn’t care for CrossFit, though. It wasn’t my style of training.”

Her persistence and desire to improve lead her to train with Greavette, a Canadian Olympic weightlifter who placed tenth at the 1988 games in Seoul.

“When I work with him one-on-one, he’s able to correct my technique better,” Petrat said. “I’m improving my lifts so I can actually compete internationally.”

Petrat will compete in the snatch and the clean-and-jerk.

“I’m already front squatting and back squatting more than my own body weight,” said the 48 kilogram Petrat.

Greavette’s Viking Weightlifting Club is hosting the first Canadian Masters Weightlifting Competition in Western Canada May 13-14.

“We’ll have quite a number of people from this local area competing in it and lifters from all across Canada,” said Greavette. “We expect 120 to 130 lifters competing over two days.”

The event takes place at the Winfield Curling Club in Lake Country, next door to Kelowna.

The World Masters event takes place in Aukland, attracting 25,000 participants from 100 countries.