Charlotte McGuinness: Powerlifting Prodigy’s Paralympic Pursuit
Charlotte McGuinness, a 22-year-old powerlifting dynamo from Harrogate, is gunning for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
A former swimmer, Charlotte found her true calling in powerlifting, a sport that has taken her from local gyms to international arenas in Georgia and the United States.
Charlotte’s journey began at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, where she first picked up a set of weights.
Her talent was quickly recognized, and she was enrolled in a development program at Loughborough University. The program tracked her progress and helped her hone her skills, setting her on a path to success.
The COVID-19 pandemic, while disruptive, proved to be a blessing in disguise for Charlotte.
“It forced me to quit swimming and it was a blessing in a sense. It made me focus on my lifting and that made me progress,” she said.
She set up a home gym and followed her development program, balancing her training between home and local gyms.
Charlotte’s hard work paid off when she won bronze in the women’s up to 50kg category at the 2021 Para Powerlifting World Cup in Manchester.
She then competed in Tbilisi, Georgia, in a World Para Powerlifting event, an experience she remembers fondly despite the challenges of the pandemic.
However, the road to success hasn’t been without bumps. Charlotte recalls her performance at the European Championships in October 2022 as a low point.
“I didn’t walk away there happy. I used it as a learning tool,” she said. She’s learned to accept that not every lift will go as planned and that mental strength is as important as physical strength in her sport.
With the help of a clinical psychologist and her team, Charlotte has been able to stay focused and resilient. She returned to Georgia a year later and lifted a personal best of 94kg.
Now, her sights are set on the Paralympics. To qualify, she needs to stay in the top eight of the British ranking. Her next crucial competition is the World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, where she aims to lift 97kg.
Charlotte’s journey from a high school gym to the world stage is a testament to her determination and resilience.
She’s proof that with the right mindset and support, dreams can become reality. “I know I’ve got the strength, I just need to execute the technique. Once I’ve done that, it will be on the board.”
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