More success for Sunderland weightlifting club at competition held on home soil
‘Once again their hard work has been rewarded’
A Sunderland weightlifting club has claimed more glory in a regional competition which was held in the city.
The Southwick-based Weights & Cakes club had 14 under-16s competing in the second annual Nixon Rowell Memorial Cup at the Raich Carter Centre in Hendon. All 14 achieved a podium place.
Among the successes was St Aidan's pupil Zach Taylor, 15, who qualified for the English & British championships with a huge total of 154kg. He also took the trophy for best lifter aged 15 and under.
James Newton, 12, a Southmoor pupil took the trophy for the under-12s with a total of 90kg. Heidi Zarek, 10, who attends East Herrington Primary, took best lifter trophy for under-10s with perfect technique points.
Zoe Chandler is founder and head coach at Weights & Cakes, and one of the main organisers of the competition as well as being an accomplished weightlifter herself.
She said: "We saw almost 60 young lifters from our club and Durham, Northumbria and Durham Universities competing. The competition is getting bigger.
"I'm very proud of all our lifters and once again their hard work has been rewarded."
Weights & Cakes was only formed in April 2021, but has already gone from - strength to strength.
The club has had a string of competition successes, for girls as well as boys. The competition at the Raich Carter had more female than male lifters.
The competition is named in honour of Nixon Rowell, a British weightlifting champion in 1930s who was born and brought up in Southwick.