PHOTOS:
Some of the top performers at the Pembrokeshire Powerlifting Club



Young and old alike at Pembrokeshire Powerlifting Club!

 
In local powerlifting circles it is a case of all roads leading to Water Street, Pembroke Dock, on the weekend of the 18th and 19th February as the Pembrokeshire Powerlifting Club will play host to the first-ever Welsh qualifier in their sport.
 
Held at their shared headquarters with Pembroke & Pembroke Dock ABC it is sure to be of a high standard because it enables the top three in each category to go forward to the European Championships which are to be held this year in Helsinki, Finland.
 
Held under the auspices of the World Powerlifting Congress there will be categories at senior level for different weights from 57kgs to 140kgs, plus a 147+ category for the 'really big guys'!
 
There are also classes for women and juniors, ranging from U13 to U17 and youth - and Aaron Hosking, one of the organisers of this prestigious event, is really looking forward to the inaugural competition.
 
As a world champion himself, Aaron will be attempting a squat of 412kgs, or 905lbs, to break a record he has previously held - and for the uninitiated that is comparable to lifting over 16 sacks of potatoes!
 
Fellow world champion Paul Murphy will also be in attendance to ensure the smooth running of the event but won't take part because like his son Andrew, Adrian Phillips and Aaron he has already qualified for Helsinki with earlier success in a competition at St Ives, Cornwall.
 
"When the event was confirmed in October we understood we had to have a minimum of 30 competitors and by the end of that month we already reached that number," said Aaron.
"Since then we have more than doubled that total with high-quality powerlifters from all over the UK and that is why the competition has been extended to two full days, each from 10am, to 4pm."
To be allowed to stage this inaugural Welsh qualifier, Aaron, Paul and Co had to meet stringent health and safety regulations, especially with regard to having first-class equipment on the competition stage and in the warm-up area.
 
"We have been lucky to have total family support and from all our members and from the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock Amateur Boxing Club, who are allowing us to use their part of the building to house the competition and have plenty of seats for the audience.
“We have had great help as well from Neil Findlay Cars, in Broadmoor," Aaron told us.
 
The Hosking family is totally committed because his wife Louise will take charge of the desk, alongside son Aaron junior, plus daughters Elise and Keira, who will also helping with anything that is needed.
 
The Pembrokeshire Powerlifting Club showed its willingness to work together when they raised the magnificent sum of £2,100 for the Latch Charity with a 24-hour lifting marathon, and they will be aiming to help another worthwhile cause in the near future.
 
But before that they have the matter of their Welsh Qualifier to organise - and it is a racing certainty that it will prove to be a great success because Aaron, Paul and the rest of the club are fully committed to putting on a show in typical style!