Weightlifting duo to represent Gauteng in Cape Town
Out of the whole of Gauteng, at least two local top female weightlifters were selected for the squad to represent the province in Cape Town.
Local weightlifting duo Kelly Kent and Shannon Bird will board a flight to Cape Town on October 21 after being selected to represent Gauteng in Mossel Bay.
At least 10 top female athletes were selected for the squad across the province after qualifying for the Gauteng provincial weightlifting team.
Bird from Brackenhurst and Kent from Brackendowns are members of Movement Crew, strength and CrossFit gym in Brackenhurst.
The pair has made their community proud and will be competing in the 71 and 76kg categories respectively.
Bird who works in healthcare said she joined the sport two years ago and initially started with CrossFit because she wanted to maintain her fitness.
“When we were doing the weightlifting section of CrossFit, I found that I was good at it. I then decided to focus more on weightlifting. We compete locally but some competitions are more serious than others. Over the last two years I have done a few of those competitions,” she said.
In an exclusive interview, she said she was pleased to have made the team, adding that weightlifting can be done by anyone.
The longest-standing member of Movement Crew, Kent, said she has always competed in CrossFit, although she took a break in between.
“I’m a masters athlete that qualified for seniors. My goal is to get a masters’ record. I prefer my CrossFit side of it rather than dedicating it to just weightlifting. Qualifying for the team was quite a surprise because I did just one competition this year,” she explained.
Kent, who is also a teacher at a local school, encouraged everyone to join the sport as it accommodates everyone from all walks of life.
Coach Matthew Hurn of Movement Crew congratulated the duo and said this will pave a way for even greater opportunities for them.
“One normally starts at provincials and moves into the South African championships. It is a stepping stone to where we’re going. Developing athletes is quite a process for us as we get to develop people into the Gauteng weightlifting team and then from there they can grow into being SA athletes,” Hurn said.
He said they are building a community drive around weightlifting and also promoting the sport.
