47-yr-old woman wins gold at World Powerlifting Championship

While we are swept up in the cheer of a new year, most of us make resolutions to hit the gym trying to be just fitter the next year. But somewhere down that hill, the resolve weakens and we give up. More often than not, it is out of a lack of support and inspiration to keep us on the right track. But the 47-year-old powerlifter Bhavana Tokekar may just be the inspiration one needs. She has clinched a gold medal at the World Powerlifting Championship in Moscow.

The mother of two, Bhavana embarked on her powerlifting journey at the ripe old age of 40 when she started training at the gym to reduce side-effects of medicines she took to deal with skin inflammation. In May this year, she attended trials in Bengaluru only to get selected for the U67.5 category in the 45-50 age group. The full-time homemaker followed it up with four gold medals at the Open Asian Powerlifting Championships of AWPC/WPC at Chelyabinsk in Russia in July this year. Bhavana has defied all the limitations that age and gender can impose to become a source of inspiration for many.

Earlier this year, she approached the WPC Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh state head for competing in the powerlifting event. She was then asked to participate in the trials after which she eventually got selected for Masters2 category in the 45-50 age category. Bhavana participated in the Women’s Masters 45-49 AWPC classic in the World Powerlifting Congress (WPC) World Championships 2019, including squat 100kg, bench press 70kg and deadlift 127.5kg totalling 297.5kg. She took to Instagram to ask her followers wish her luck for the endeavour.

Also read: Lifted 215kg at the age of 13, here’s why this teen is set for future glory

Married to a pilot serving the Indian Air Force, Bhavana was inspired by IAF bodybuilders to take up weightlifting. She is also a long-distance runner and has participated in several marathon events. The gold medallist powerlifter shares her daily workout videos on Instagram, leaving her followers awestruck at the strength of the 47-year-old and inspiring many to embark on fitness journeys.

And indeed, age is definitely not a barrier to chasing fitness and new journeys. Well, the glitter of gold marks a step forward for the 47-year-old homemaker, and what’s even more baffling is how she is breaking down age barriers and challenging our assumptions about what the body can accomplish as it grows even older.