Strength Knows No Gender

This is part one of a two-part series on women in powerlifting.

Gone are the days when women were restricted from pursuing their goals and ambitions. This shift is evident across many global industries. In one particularly male-dominated sport, powerlifting, women are making their mark, with many notable names emerging. Sharing her story of breaking boundaries, 18-year-old Abrienda Chan, who holds a collection of national records and medals, is also the first female Sarawakian in the sub-junior category to compete in the upcoming World Championship.

Breaking barriers: Journey in the male-dominated world of powerlifting

In the sports industry, powerlifting has long been seen as a male-dominated field where strength and determination are celebrated. However, in recent years, women have made significant strides in powerlifting, shattering stereotypes and proving that strength knows no gender. As these athletes push the limits of physical strength, they are also challenging societal boundaries concerning gender.

Most recently, Sarawakian teen Abrienda Chan made headlines as the first female sub-junior in the 18-and-under category from Sarawak to compete in the World Championship, set to be held in Malta from August 28 to September 8. Despite her height of just 151 centimetres, Chan remains determined through sheer perseverance.

Sharing her athletic journey in an exclusive interview with Sarawak Tribune, a joyful Chan expressed her elation at her achievements from the very beginning. She began swimming at the age of six, a pursuit she described as a coincidence, as she was initially enrolled in swim classes for self-defence.

Chan at the 2023 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship in Johor.

“My parents encouraged me to learn swimming at six. To them, it was a life-saving skill in case I was ever swept away by the sea while playing at the beach. It was a way to prevent drowning. One day, my father asked if there were any swimming competitions at school.”

As fate would have it, Chan revealed that her teacher had invited her to join the Inter-School Swimming Championship the next day.

Upon receiving the news and sharing it with her father, Chan recalled his shocked reaction.

“The shortest distance for a long-course swimming competition was 50 metres. My father was sceptical because the pool I trained in was only 18.5 metres. He told me to ask my coach instead,” she said.

Her coach, offering words of encouragement, told her that if she could swim the 18.5-metre pool three times without losing her breath or stopping, she could join the school’s competition. Thus began her athletic journey, during which she represented her school and state numerous times.

By the age of 13, Chan faced a bottleneck in her progress and realised that her height was becoming a disadvantage in swimming, presenting a significant obstacle.

“At the same time, my mother’s friend, an ex-national judo player, told me that I had the build for martial arts and encouraged me to give it a try. If I liked it, I could pursue it as another form of self-defence.”

Chan practiced judo until the age of 16, competing in various events and achieving the status of a national junior team athlete.

When she was 15, she was advised to start strength training to improve her judo performance. This training, which included bench presses, squats, and deadlifts, was also fundamental to powerlifting. However, due to the recent pandemic, her training at the gym was limited to only two months before the centre had to close.

“I didn’t know much about it. I just did what the coach instructed.”

When restrictions were gradually lifted, she recalled that she was still unable to practice judo because she was not vaccinated against COVID-19.

“So, I hit the gym and went swimming by myself every day to maintain my strength and conditioning. Whenever I achieved a certain weight in lifting, I posted a video on Instagram. That was when my senior saw it and encouraged me to try powerlifting, even though I wasn’t familiar with it.”

She was then invited to participate in her first powerlifting competition. Despite having no prior specific training, she clinched first place and set two national records. This achievement qualified her to compete in the national championship in May last year, where she won first place again, setting four more national records. This also qualified her for the Asian Championships last December.

This year marks her second year in powerlifting, and she has seen significant improvements since she started.

“Back then, I could squat around 50 kilogrammes. Today, I can lift 107.5 kilogrammes. For bench presses, I previously did 20 to 25 kilogrammes; now I can do 65 kilogrammes. As for deadlifts, I used to lift a maximum of 60 kilogrammes, but now I can lift 130 kilogrammes. I continue to increase the weights each day, aiming to improve my reps.”

Chan at the 2023 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship in Johor, where she won one gold and three silver medals.

Challenges as a powerlifter

With her world championship approaching, Chan’s daily routine consists of eating, sleeping, and training. She is currently training in Korea under Coach Jeong Jihoon from South Korea’s top powerlifting coaching team, Team Ant.

Speaking about the challenges she faces as a powerlifter, Chan admits, “Some days are good, and I can achieve higher lifts, but there are also bad days when I can’t lift at all.

“The other challenges I face aren’t injuries from lifting but rather the lack of funding. As someone new to the industry and without a wealthy or strong family background, securing proper funding has become a significant barrier for me.”

Nevertheless, the challenges do not deter her from striving to achieve her best in the upcoming competitions. As she trains hard, she remains hopeful for positive outcomes.

Regarding her diet, Chan does not follow a strict regime.

“During the off-season, I still eat normally on my cheat days, enjoying foods like KFC, pizza, Kolo Mee, and more. However, during the in-season, while I am not overly strict about food, I keep track of my carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake. Most importantly, I focus on eating clean.

“Although some days are tough, especially when I am craving Kolo Mee or other favourite foods, my coping mechanism is to go into the kitchen, find something else to eat, and enjoy that instead,” said a cheerful Chan.

Females in the male-dominated industry

Although women have been powerlifting for years, stereotypes, myths, and taboos still persist.

“People often ask me why, as a female, I am doing this sport,” she said.

Chan has learned to ignore these myths and taboos about how a girl shouldn’t lift or powerlift.

“There are always myths about how I might develop broader shoulders and that it would be unattractive. Some even say it could make my menstrual cycle irregular or affect my future ability to get pregnant. I also get comments about how powerlifting might hinder future relationships because I could be stronger than any potential boyfriends. I joke that maybe I don’t need a boyfriend since I’m strong enough to carry myself.”

Despite the comments, Chan remains passionate about powerlifting. For her, the important thing is achieving her goals and celebrating her successes.

“I don’t really pay attention to those taboos and myths. Training continues regardless.”

As Chan takes a gap year to compete in the world championship, she hopes to further her studies in sports science in the future. With her deep love for sports, she reasons, “Why not?” For now, she is focused on embracing her time in powerlifting, whether through training or competing — she remains determined to persevere.