He's a promising young powerlifter aiming for personal bests at this weekend's national powerlifting championships in Whangarei but, even if Ming Ming Edgar manages a lift, he will have to ask if he gets the white light from the judges.
Because 17-year-old Ming Ming Edgar is blind.
Edgar has been powerlifting for
about 18 months, training under noted Northland powerlifter Brian Froggatt at Brian's Gym in Dargaville.
He said he enjoyed the challenge of the sport and pushing himself to lift increasingly heavier weights.
"It's my sport. It keeps me strong and helps me achieve my goals," he said.
Edgar has already competed at both the Northland powerlifting and bench press championships.
In April this year he competed at the Australian blind powerlifting champs which were combined with the national junior champs, where he placed third in both sections.
While he made a few mistakes in Australia, resulting in red-light (no-lift) decisions from the judges, he hopes he has conquered his nerves for his efforts tomorrow.
"I was a bit nervous, I was shaking - but I won't be nervous this weekend," he said.
Powerlifters must execute the squat, deadlift and bench press in competition, with the bench press Edgar's favourite.
Currently his best lift in the squat is 100kg, and his best bench press 77kg.
To prepare for this weekend's competition at the Genesis Energy Stadium at Kensington, Edgar has been training three times a week with Froggatt and carefully monitoring his diet.
"You have to eat sandwiches, which I don't like, they're not a favourite of mine ... But I can still have takeaways as a treat."
Having experimented with golf and sailing before settling on powerlifting as his favourite sport, Edgar also says he enjoys kicking a rugby ball.
Froggatt, who is secretary of the Northland Powerlifting Association, said he was unsure whether there were other blind powerlifters in New Zealand.
But when Edgar competes at the ParaFed Nationals in Auckland in September, which are for combined disabilities, Froggatt will find out if there are any other blind competitors.
Froggatt said Edgar copes with the sport just like any other lifter, but sometimes has issues with direction and balance.
Edgar said his goal was to work hard and do what he's told to get to the World Championships.
"My ears are turned on," he said.
