Memorial competition goes from strength to strength

On Friday, September 30, the UCT Weights Club was alive with the cries of grown men. It was the time of the year for the Craig Nelson Memorial and Development Powerlifting Tournament, named in honour of the late UCT and Western Province champion lifter. The competition is in its fifth year. There was a good turnout from lifters and supporters alike. The 14 participants were mostly gym regulars with a few outsiders joining in for the festivities. The tournament is not just for seasoned lifters. More than half of the lifters were first-timers. For those who don't know exactly what powerlifting is, it comprises of three lifts: bench press, dead lift and squats. Lifters get three chances in each event, lifting weights of their choice. Then the best of the three attempts for each discipline are added together to get the overall tally. The tournament was a great success. It brought in many new faces, and also showed that powerlifting can be done by all, not just muscle-bound gym jocks. Many compete to help build strength for other sports such as rugby, bodybuilding, soccer, swimming, etc. The tournament was won by Nick Fourie in the 82.5kg category, Rodney Wippenaar was placed second in the 110kg division, and third was Themba Mabasa in the 75kg division. The real stars of the show, though, were all those first-time lifters who pushed the top three all the way and were no walkover. If you would like any further details or information about the gym, powerlifting, bodybuilding or general weight training, contact the weights committee or the gym coach, Ron Collins.