County Derry woman to represent Ireland at Western European Powerlifting Championship

A County Derry woman is set to represent Ireland at the Western European Powerlifting Championship.

Bronagh Maguire is set to compete in Malta in September between the 13th and the 15th. 

And yet Maguire had been contemplating taking a step back from competing in powerlifting competitions. 

She said: “I’ve got two girls and with them and work it is just hard to prioritise training. 

“But I felt like I wanted to stick at it and be a role model to them.

“I just didn’t think it would ever be possible, I couldn’t have imagined it and I was actually about to call it a day at the start of the year and I thought I would do just one more competition and it was actually that one I qualified from.”

Representing Ireland is a dream for many athletes from this island, and never more poignant as the Paris Olympics begin this week. 

However, powerlifting is not yet an Olympic sport and so representing Ireland at the European Championships is a great honour especially for Maguire, as she only got into the sport seven years ago. 

She said: “I had my first wee girl and I started getting into the gym to just lose a little bit of weight and then from there I just got into powerlifting, I found a love of it. 

“I feel great. I couldn’t believe it.”

Maguire trains out of Evolution Strength Systems in Maghera under coach Damian Maguire.

And as Maguire continues her preparation for the competition she is hoping to inspire her daughters to find a sport that makes them happy. 

She said: “Powerlifting makes me happy, and if they get into it so be it.

“But I would be happy just as long as they found a sport that they love and enjoy.”