Powerlifter Violet Thrall helps others reach their fitness goals as PT at Peele Leisure Centre in Long Sutton
She’s only been powerlifting for a couple of years, but Violet Thrall has already claimed two junior British records and is now helping others reach their fitness goals as a personal trainer.
Violet, 18, joined the team at the Peele Leisure Centre, in Long Sutton, at the beginning of the year, and is taking classes as well as offering one to one personal training sessions.
She fits in her own training around her work and is hoping to secure a place at Olympia - a big lifting competition, in Florida – later this year, along with sponsorship to help cover her costs.
“I used to play football, but I started going to the gym after I finished school,” says Violet. “That’s when I started lifting and met my coach, Craig. He set me a plan, and it just went from there. My first deadlift – when you lift a weight off the floor - was 90Kg and I just really took a liking to the sport, so I decided to give it a go.
“Craig suggested I enter some competitions; I was just doing it for fun but then I began taking part in events in Nottingham and further afield.”
Violet trains at least five days a week, sometimes more than once a day, and secured her first British record shortly after taking up powerlifting. She lifts in the junior, under 75Kg division, and has British records for 120Kg and 130Kg lifts as well as a European record for deadlifting 140Kg.
She is now up to 150Kg in training and needs to lift 152.5Kg at her next competition in April to qualify for Olympia.
“There aren’t really that many women power lifters, which is a real shame,” adds Violet, who has two sisters. “I’d urge anyone interested to give it a try, just for fun, you might surprise yourself.
“I find it very rewarding, especially when you lift a new weight. I was stuck at 130Kg for a good five months, but I didn’t give up. It’s easy to do that when it gets hard, but you never know what you can achieve. My family have been really supportive too, and my mum Clair comes to watch all my competitions.”
Violet gained a place at the College of West Anglia after leaving school and attained Level 2 and 3 in personal training. She is now teaching classes including legs, bums and tums at Long Sutton, and also doing personal training.
“I really like being a personal trainer, it’s so rewarding for me as well as the people I’m working with, to see them progress,’ she adds. ‘It’s nice when they get in touch to say they’ve lost weight or achieved something they’ve been working towards.”
Our reporter Kate Chapman tries powerlifting
I’m not a total newcomer to the gym, but it’s not very often I venture inside one these days. I much prefer to go for a run outside, but I have been thinking about using weights now I’ve reached a certain age (!) to help counter the inevitable muscle decline, which is all part and parcel of ageing.
Violet very kindly gave me a tour of the Peele Leisure Centre gym, where she explained what all the different machines were for, how to use them and how to set them up. She demonstrated each one while explaining what its use would achieve, and how many reps I should do – and then it was over to me.
As well as a few words of encouragement, Violet also gave me some tips on posture to help me get the most from my workout. And while I knew pull ups – even assisted ones – would be a challenge, I thoroughly enjoyed trying something new.
I’m happy to report I could still move my arms the next morning and will definitely be hitting the gym again to mix up my workouts.
