Norscot powerlifter and dancer displays grace and strength
NORSCOT – A duel freestyle dancer and powerlifter is already leaving her mark in the weightlifting and powerlifting world after impressive performance at a recent competition.
A young dancer and powerlifter from Norscot is on the path to breaking records in powerlifting and maintaining her dance titles.
Alexandra Mundell has been dancing since the age of three, and has been the reigning champion in South African women’s freestyle dancing since 2019.
Unable to take part in any dancing competitions due to the coronavirus outbreak since last year, Mundell looked to powerlifting in order to increase her power in dancing, but she found she loved the sport. Since dance competitions are now taking place again, Mundell has begun to juggle both sports.
The 22-year-old took part in the South African Powerlifting Championships in Potchefstroom in April. While there, she broke two South African junior records for her weight division in the bench press and deadlift categories.
She also took part in the Phoenix Legacy Dance Championships shortly after the powerlifting championships where she won the Champion of Champions title. She had also won the Joan Mancer Memorial Trophy at Diana Moore’s Discorama competition shortly after.
“I had started with the powerlifting lifts during training for my dancing and I really enjoyed it. In dancing, I focus on freestyle dancing, which comprises a fast and slow style.
“Because I do strength-training for my dancing, a lot of people have said that I could lose my flexibility and just general scepticism. I think people’s opinions might change when they see that it has actually benefitted my dancing,” she said.
Mundell does both powerlifting and weightlifting which differ from one another. Powerlifting entails squats, bench presses and deadlifts, whereas weightlifting has jumped with the clean-and-jerk action.
Mundell said she wants to compete internationally again and hopes to be given the opportunity to defend her adult women’s world titles for dancing in Blackpool next year.
“As a competitive dancer, your shelf life is really short, and I wanted to get into something I wanted to get into when I retire. I know I can’t dance forever, so I’m grateful I was able to find something. “I really enjoy the powerlifting as it is a personal sport in that you are setting and achieving your own goals. I had broken a few records broken in the World Champs. In weightlifting, I want to get titles that qualify me for World Champs.”
