Para powerlifting has been a sport at the Parlaympic Games for many decades, since 1984 in fact. Canadians have previously represented in this sport at this level; Michael Johnson in 1988 and Al Slater and Gino Vendetti in 1984 claimed silver medals. 

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We have also had representation by athlete Sally Thomas, the first female in the sport at the Paralympic Games finishing 7th in Athens 2004 Paralympic as well as a showing her strength in 2007 Parapan Am Games. 

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There has been a resurgence of interest in the sport within the last decade, boasting the youngest para powerlifter, Dylan Sparks lifting at the Toronto Parapan Am Games in 2015. Since this time, many athletes have joined the international rankings showcasing incredible growth of the sport and their own individual strengths. These athletes include Jake Beaton, Daniel Ferreira, Scott Glass, Stacey Tetz, Andrew Livingstone and Dylan Sparks. 

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The grassroots development is also encouraging in the country as we are actively recruiting athletes, coaches, technical officials and classifiers. Many powerlifting events are hosted throughout the country, providing para divisions to assist with this growth and exposure. 

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Para Powerlifting demonstrates incredible upper body strength by showcasing the bench press with a goal of lifting the most weight (in kgs) compared to their body weight; separated into weight classes for male and female gender. 

 

Lifters lie on an official para bench with their head and body in contact with the bench. Their legs and both heels extended on the bench, strapped in, throughout the entire lift (the lower limbs do not contribute to the lift). The athlete follows voice prompts of the head technical official and will rely on personal or coaching cues to lift the bar to the final position, with elbows locked. Athletes are given three attempts in a competition; their performance is assessed by three referees using a colour-coded scoring system identifying a 'good lift' with 2-3 white lights (out of three). Weight on the bar increases for the second and third attempts. The heaviest good lift (within the weight class) is used for final placing in the competition. Total shifts adding the three lifts together, are also awarded rankings in the event. 

 

To read and see more, please visit https://www.paralympic.org/powerlifting/about 

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