There aren’t many people who can lift over 200 pounds, but Kristel Ngarlem is doing just that.
The 21-year-old is getting ready for one of the biggest competitions in her career.
Next week, she’s jetting off to California to compete in the Weightlifting World Championships and she says it’s a big test.
“It’s a pretty big event because next year, and the next two years, it will be selection for the Olympic Games,” she said. “So this year, it doesn’t count, but we have to practice in a team to make sure we are good at this kind of competition.”
The national champion started weight training at the age of 10, after seeing a young weightlifter in the Quebec film, l’Incomparable Mademoiselle C.
She says what attracted her to the sport the most is the possibility of breaking barriers.
“I like the fact that it’s kind of a masculine sport at the same time, so it makes me feel really confident,” she said.
The Montrealer is now taking that confidence to the next level.
Next week’s world championships will show her where she ranks among her competition.
And that will set the stage for the next two years, where she will be battling for a spot at the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo.
“When I started weight lifting, I said to my mom, ‘I want to go to the Olympics,'” said Ngarlem. “So it’s coming soon and it’s pretty important for me. I trained all my life for that.”