Throw any obstacle in strongwoman Rhianon Lovelace’s path, and it only seems to make her grow stronger. Even with troubles like a recent bout of pneumonia, the former World’s Strongest Woman Champion (2018) apparently doesn’t let many setbacks deter her from her goals.
On June 27, 2022, Lovelace showed her unflappability again when she completed an axle press of 100 kilograms (220 pounds) during a training session. The training lift is an unofficial World Record for a lightweight strongwoman competitor, exceeding Lovelace’s own record by 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds).
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According to Lovelace’s Instagram caption, this axle press is the culmination of her battle back from a shoulder injury that she suffered sometime in 2021. With patience and diligence, it seems that injury was just another roadblock.
“Last season, I had quite a shoulder injury that really messed my press up,” Lovelace writes. “It’s been a long road, but it’s nice to be back with some big numbers! I had amazing confidence in the ability of my triceps, and it’s nice to see that coming back- with zero pain!”
A Hot Streak
Lovelace’s recent exploits as a strongwoman and powerlifter continue to stand out in the strength sports world.
In late May 2022, during the annual British Powerlifting Union (BPU) Single Lift British Championships, Lovelace broke the British raw powerlifting deadlift record with a pull of 241 kilograms (530 pounds). At the time of this writing, it remains the heaviest raw British deadlift ever across any women’s powerlifting weight class.
Later that same month, before fighting off her fit of pneumonia, Lovelace unofficially exceeded her own axle deadlift World Record as a strongwoman with a pull of 240 kilograms (528 pounds). Finally, in late June 2022, the British competitor captured a 280-kilogram (616-pound) traditional deadlift. That figure unofficially exceeded the current World Record for the 64-kilogram strongwoman weight class by 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds).
Across two different sports, it might appear the British athlete notches a new achievement or record every time she steps onto a lifting platform lately.
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The Near Future
Lovelace plans to keep busy as an active competitor this summer. The strongwoman will compete at the 2022 Berkshire’s Strongest Man & Woman contest on July 16, 2022, in Berkshire, England. She has stated that she plans to officially surpass her traditional deadlift World Record at the contest.
In accordance with her recent history, Lovelace may add another top figure to the record books simultaneously.
Featured image: @rhianon.lovelace.kaosstrength on Instagram
