Trinity Barbell, currently a provisional club in the eyes of Dublin University Central Athletic Club (DUCAC), will, all going well, reach full club status next year. Sitting down with club member Rachel Knight, you would be confident in the club’s ability to push past any obstacles in their way. Despite receiving a distinct lack of funding and currently possessing no fixed venue or coaching staff, the passion of the club’s 120 members is the main reason this small club is quickly moving towards success.
Competing in the Irish Powerlifting Federation Leinster Open last week, Knight, who calls herself “a baby in powerlifting”, had her work cut out for her. With around 80 other competitors ranging in ages from 15-50, the field posed a challenge for Knight who only started to train seriously in September. Although she finished near the bottom of her 63kg category, Knight, who managed to put in a personal best deadlift, said the competition had inspired her to train harder and improve faster. “The whole experience was such a rush, watching women in their 50s pick up those sorts of weights was inspiring, never mind ridiculously cool!”
While both Knight and Team Captain, Isabel Brown, concede that weightlifting is currently a male-dominated sport, Trinity Barbell has been putting a huge emphasis on inclusivity. As Knight commented: “There is such a respectful atmosphere in the club”, and “it’s an empowering environment for girls who might be intimidated to lift weights, everyone in the club just wants to see each other improve.”
Knight says this inclusive and supportive atmosphere was one of the main reasons she felt comfortable entering into a competition: “I was incredibly reluctant to enter into the competition at first. I knew I wasn’t anywhere near my best and it was an open field, so there was no baseline I had to meet to qualify. I knew I would end up competing against people who were at a national standard, far beyond where I am currently at.”
Trinity Barbell is aiming to send out the message that whether you’re male or female, whether you’ve lifted before or not, this club provides the opportunity to test the limits, to be pushed out of your comfort zone in a non-judgemental setting.
This inclusivity and camaraderie is vital in a club that has recently faced its fair share of hardships. Losing their weightlifting coach, Troy McPartling, who helped many members improve their form and mobility, was devastating for a club that was gaining ground on campus.
As Brown commented: “Troy was instrumental to our training, we had finally found a space to lift and had multiple evening classes up and running, we even started to get regular attenders. Now, in some ways, it feels as if we are back to square one.”
Whilst a coach is often instrumental to succeeding and improving, Trinity Barbell has become creative with ways to keep the club progressing. Speaking to The University Times by email, committee member Paul Reddin commented that “this sport is as much about beating your own previous bests as it is about beating the competition” and that a focus on internal competition between members means the club continues develop despite setbacks.
Looking forward to the future, Brown feels that Trinity Barbell could become an established part of Trinity by being one of the most accessible clubs on campus: “Barbell is incredibly complementary to other sports such as American football and rugby, in fact, most sports could benefit from strength sessions with us.” With the recent growth in fitness culture this club is aiming to provide a platform on campus for anyone and everyone to engage with this new craze.
