San Pedro’s Mary Gonzalez won first place in the female division of the 4th Annual Belize Powerlifting Association’s National Championship, held at the St. Johns College Gymnasium Campus in Belize City. The two-day tournament saw the women’s competition on Saturday, March 16th, and the men’s competition on Sunday, March 17th. Organized by the Belize Powerlifting Association (BPA), the event saw 14 women and 22 men participate in the ultimate test of strength.
Powerlifting is a test of three compound movements: back squat, bench press and deadlifts. Participants were organized through age and weight categories, with eight women competing in the Open category across varying weight classes. There were also three juniors and sub-juniors as well as three in the Masters category. Using the International Powerlifting Federation’s Good Lift Points system, the BPA scored participants using weight of athlete against weight lifted. There were winners in each of the categories, and overall winners (regardless of weight or age). After some incredible feats of strength, the top three women were Jaqueline Alas (69kg) in third place, Joylynne Smith (69kg) in second place and Mary Gonzalez(84+kg), with a personal best 435lb deadlift, took the coveted first place and title of Women’s Champion.
The second day saw 22 men competing across various weight classes and age categories as well. Phenomenal young lifters showcased their strength, and when the Open athletes took the stage, it was a show for the ages. Kaylon Godoy (120+kg) won the gold medal in the male open with an impressive 765-pound deadlift. Leo Matura (83kg) secured the silver medal with a mind-blowing 600lb deadlift, and Khalid Usher (105kg) took home the bronze medal with a 595lb deadlift.
Gonzalez’ outstanding performance in the competition qualified her to participate in the North American Powerlifting Federation (NAPF) Championships to be held in Scottsdale, Arizona from August 5-10, 2024. The island athlete started powerlifting shortly after winning the Strong Woman title in November of 2019, and she told The San Pedro Sun that she had been looking forward to hitting a few numbers to improve on last year’s performance.
“Winning for the second year in a row meant so much. I was battling a few minor injuries about eight weeks before, and I kept debating if I should even bother. Based on my performance at NAPF last year, I was already in the running and qualified for NAPF in August. But I had some goals and numbers in mind, and with such a hard training block, I had not truly tested myself. I decided I would go ahead, and on the morning of, I woke up feeling better than I had in weeks. I knew it was a sign. Plus, I have been missing my powerlifting friends. So, I got on that flight and made it in time. As soon as I hit the warmup area, I knew I would have a good day,” she said. At the competition, she set a new personal record in squats with a weight of 400 pounds. “This was the culmination of years of training. Deadlifts, which are my strongest lifts, were so fun. I had to lift more than my previous personal best to win, so pulling 435lbs with such ease made me lose my mind! I was ecstatic, beyond stoked, and thrilled to say the trophy makes its way back to little ole San Pedro!”
The BPA thanks all the participants, spectators and sponsors for making the event possible. The San Pedro Sun congratulates Mary Gonzalez on her well-deserved victory and for representing her community well.
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