WPA at the 2025 SBD British Championships
16 lifters · 13 records · 3 podium finishes · 1 British champion
This past weekend the dragon flew high at the NEC in Birmingham as sixteen Welsh Powerlifting Association lifters took to the British Championships platform. Across three days of lifting, WPA athletes stacked up 13 Welsh and British records, brought home three podium places, and crowned one British champion in a deep national field.
Below is a class-by-class look at how Team Wales got on.
52 kg – Kayley & Meghan set the tone
In the 52 kg class, Kayley Phillips kicked off the weekend in style. She put together a superb 125 kg squat, 60 kg bench, and 177.5 kg deadlift for a 362.5 kg total, locking in personal bests on squat, deadlift and total. Even more impressively, Kayley extended her own Welsh total record by 7.5 kg, pushing the standard for the 52s even higher and showing there’s still more in the tank.
Teammate Meghan Norris backed that up with a gritty performance of her own, highlighted by a personal best 112.5 kg squat on the national stage. Meghan finished with a 297.5 kg total, valuable big-meet experience in a stacked class and clear signs that she’s moving in the right direction.
57 kg – Becky pushes the record higher
The 57 kg class saw Becky Clarke deliver one of the standout all-round performances of the weekend. Becky went 142.5 / 77.5 / 185 for a 405 kg total, hitting personal bests in squat, bench, and total. That total wasn’t just a PB either – she extended her own Welsh total record by 5 kg, consolidating her position at the top of the class and setting the bar even higher for 2026.
Kelly Canones joined her in the 57s, building a solid 130 / 72.5 / 142.5 performance for a 345 kg total. On a tough British platform, Kelly showed composure and fight throughout, keeping attempts tight and gaining valuable experience in another deep national field.
63 kg – Makeda & Sabrina go 1–2 for Wales
The 63 kg class was a Welsh showcase, with a 1–2 finish for WPA.
Makeda Vidal put together a performance worthy of the big stage, going 193.5 / 100 / 207.5 for a monstrous 501 kg total and claiming British Champion in the 63s. Her 193.5 kg squat broke her own British squat record, pushing the standard even higher, and she stacked personal bests across squat, bench, deadlift and total. A 500+ total at British Championships with a national record squat is exactly the kind of statement you want closing out the national series.
Hunting right behind her, Sabrina Downes claimed silver with 160 / 121 / 205 and a 486 kg total. The highlight was a 121 kg British bench press record, with Sabrina narrowly missing 124 kg on her third attempt in what would have been another huge milestone. Loading 222.5kg for her final deadlift to pull into 1st position but narrowly missing. Bench was a personal best, and the record shows just how dangerous she is on the pressing side of the game.
Rounding out the Welsh trio in the 63s, Katie Roberts went 155 / 110 / 140 for a 405 kg total. While this one wasn’t about PBs on paper, it was about getting a full set of numbers up at a major championship and laying foundations for bigger totals next year.
69 kg – Christina fights through a tough class
In the 69 kg class, Christina Kio-Bennett battled through a deep field to finish with 160 / 100 / 177.5 and a 437.5 kg total. It was a day that didn’t quite reflect her full ceiling, but she showed resilience in keeping the total moving and gaining more big-platform experience. These are the kinds of meets that often set up the big PB runs in the following season.
76 kg – Llio rewrites the record book
The 76 kg class turned into a record-rewriting session for Llio Godfrey-Flower. Llio went 195 / 127.5 / 200 for a 522.5 kg total, hitting personal bests in squat, bench and total – and the records tell the real story. She added 14 kg to the existing Welsh squat record and added 15.5 kg to her own Welsh total record. That’s a serious reset of the standard in the 76s and one of the most impressive all-round performances of the weekend for WPA.
Alongside her, Millie Mabbutt finished with 182.5 / 100 / 172.5 and a 455 kg total. Millie showed plenty of grit across all three lifts, especially in a brutally competitive class, and now has a clear benchmark to build from for 2026.
84+ kg – Mel pushes the supers forward
In the 84+ kg class, Mel Rawsthorne delivered a big-moment performance with 205 / 107.5 / 225 for a 537.5 kg total. Mel loaded 230 for her final deadlift to pull into 3rd place, she locked it out but got red lights for downward movement. She locked in personal bests in squat, bench and total, and crucially added 15 kg to her own Welsh total record, pushing the standard for the super-heavyweight women further than ever. A 200+ squat, 100+ bench, and 200+ deadlift on a British stage is exactly the kind of complete package you want from a record holder.
74 kg – Jac pulls a record and a podium
In the 74 kg class, Jac Lewis combined big lifting with big placing, taking 3rd place with 242.5 / 165 / 280 and a 687.5 kg total. The star of the show was his 280 kg deadlift, which placed him provisionally in 2nd, where Jac broke his own Welsh deadlift record, adding 9.5 kg to it, and rounded off the day with a new personal best total as well. Podium at British Championships plus a national record pull – that’s a huge day out for Jac.
83 kg – Owen and John fly the flag in a brutal class
The 83 kg class is always stacked at British level, and this year was no exception. Owen Hubbard posted a big 272.5 / 200 / 280 performance for a 752.5 kg total, showing once again the kind of top-end strength, we’ve come to expect – a 200 kg bench on the national stage remains world-class in any company.
John Bermudez joined him in the 83s and turned in a huge progress meet, going 242.5 / 175 / 260 for a 677.5 kg total. John hit personal bests in squat, deadlift and total, demonstrating that his overall package is moving in exactly the right direction. In a field this deep, stacking up PBs and a big total is exactly what you want.
93 kg – Jamie keeps the standard high
In the 93 kg class, Jamie Cadogan went toe-to-toe with a dense field and finished with 295 / 182.5 / 270 on a 4/9 day for a 747.5 kg total. It was a day that didn’t quite reflect Jamie’s full potential, but he showed resilience in keeping the total moving and gaining more big-platform experience.
105 kg – Will hits 800 and breaks an old record
The 105 kg class gave us a satisfying milestone. William Greaves assembled 302.5 / 192.5 / 305 for a massive 800 kg total, hitting personal bests across all three lifts and total. On the bench, Will broke a four-year-old Welsh bench press record in the 105 kg class with 192.5 kg, stamping his name firmly onto the national record books. An 800 kg total and a long-standing record broken is a serious statement to close out the year.
Wrapping up the 2025 national series
Across the weekend at the NEC, WPA lifters combined for:
16 athletes on the British stage
13 Welsh and 2 British records broken or extended
3 podium finishes (1st, 2nd, and 3rd)
1 British Champion in Makeda Vidal
On top of the lifting, a meet of this scale doesn’t happen without a Navy (literally) of people behind the scenes. Huge thanks to British Powerlifting for hosting a great championship at the NEC, and to Competition Director James Brincat-Smith for steering the event. Massive appreciation also goes to Technology Director James Kemmery for keeping the scoring and software running smoothly, and to Tomos Atkinson, who was on the platform spotting athletes in every session across the competition. We also extend a big thank you to Claire Hendy and Hongyu Qi, our two national-level referees, for officiating throughout the championships and representing Wales on the technical side of the sport. Competitions simply do not happen without volunteers, and WPA are hugely grateful for everyone who gave their time and energy across the weekend.
Attention now turns to our next divisional competition, the Phil Richard Classic, which will be hosted in a new, shiny venue on the 7th of February. It’s shaping up to be a brilliant way to kick off the new season in style and continue the momentum from the British stage back home in Wales.
As we close out 2025, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers, referees, meet directors, coaches, athletes, and WPA board members – powerlifting simply wouldn’t be a thing without you. From everyone at the Welsh Powerlifting Association, thank you for an incredible year of lifting. Have a warm, restful end to the year, and enjoy the festive season – we’ll see you back on the platform in 2026.
