Wakefield College student Elijah, from Thornhill, to compete in Manchester for place in British powerlifting championship

Despite only starting to compete in powerlifting competitions in the last couple of years, Elijah – who turned 17 last July – has already achieved much success in the sport, including qualifying for the world powerlifting championship in Ireland last year, earning second place in his category and a silver medal.

Speaking about his journey into powerlifting, Elijah’s mum, Lynsey, said: “He started seriously lifting the beginning of last year.

"His dad did a little bit of weight lifting. Initially he went to the gym with him and sort of the last year to two years is when he’s really come into his own.”

Lynsey added that powerlifting is “a tough sport” and that Elijah’s achievements so far at 17 years old are “a massive accomplishment.”

Elijah trains between three and four times a week at gyms in Morley and Dewsbury for a couple of hours at a time. His personal best lifts include a 125kg bench press, a 200kg squat, and a 210kg deadlift. Alongside his dedication to powerlifting, Elijah is also a student at Wakefield College, where he is studying Uniformed Services.

In the competition, he will complete three lifts, and the scores will be added together to determine an overall score.

Elijah will compete at the A/BPU Central Manchester SILA qualifier on Saturday, October 26 and, if successful, will go through to the A/BPU British Championships 2025.