She started powerlifting a couple of years ago and now at 51, Tina Lamarsh is a national record holding champion.
It all started when she broke her shoulder at work as a millwright.
“At the beginning of my recovery I couldn’t lift more than a coffee cup and nearing the end of all my physio I did an occupational rehab clinic where I was exercising not just my arm but the rest of my body to condition it to return to work,” Lamarsh said. “Then when I returned to work I said to myself, well, what am I going to do now?”
She got her answer when she went to see her son Josh in a powerlifting competition and he suggested she join his gym, XConditioning, in downtown Prince George.
“So I started coming here and it bit me,” Lamarsh said.
She competed in her second powerlifting meet last November, lifting 145kg (319.67lbs) in her squat and deadlift, and bench press was 67.5kg (148.8lbs).
“When I got to my third lift I was feeling strong and I felt very powerful and my son was actually a spotter. So I’ve got proud mamma pictures of me with my son ready to save me if I couldn’t lift it.”
Every athlete’s dream is to do their personal best during competition and Lamarsh got emotional thinking about how much that meant to have her son right there with her during those very special moments.
“I am a firm believer that you never know until you try it and you surprise yourself and it’s incredibly empowering when you are able to do these things and it changes... your whole mental outlook on how you view yourself and being around all these people that have the same goal is uplifting. It’s absolutely incredible.”
To see Tina Lamarsh’s story on YouTube visit or check it out on Shaw Spotlight community television at 7 a.m., 5 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. each day.
