Two of the best share tips and techniques

POWER POINT: Local powerlifters Taari Murray (left) and Trish Muldrock discussing technique in a Kaitaia gym last week.

Two of the Far North's most successful powerlifters trained together in Kaitaia last week, sharing techniques and tips, and discussing strategies for their campaigns as they prepare to again represent their districts at local, national and international level in 2015.

Despite cleaning up in their respective divisions at various events last year, it was obvious when Taari Murray from Whangape and Trish Muldrock of Kaikohe met at Club Physical on Friday morning that the pair are not about to rest on their laurels nor take it easy any time in the near future.

Muldrock confirmed she will defend the world masters III title (won in the Czech Republic in November), at this year's event in Finland, and also plans to compete at the Commonwealth championships in Vancouver in December.

Her most recent feat was winning the Master 3 (for lifters aged 60-plus) at the Oceania & Asian Raw Powerlifting Championships 2014 in Melbourne, which saw her squat, deadlift and benchpress her way to various world and Commonwealth titles.

A benchpress specialist, Murray also stood out at the Oceania & Asian champs where she took out the Master 1 class (for lifters aged 40-plus) in the 84kg-plus weight section by benching a world record lift of 132.5kg with relative ease. The lift gave the 45-year-old the overall title over the 12 others lifters in the field (including the four in her weight division, none of whom were able to manage a lift over 100kg) and also the overall best lift award in the 100 or so women competing in benchpress only at the event as based on the Wilkes Formula.

Murray was, if anything, a little disappointed in herself. She felt she had not backed herself to lift more at the Melbourne event and is determined to rectify this. Confident she could have benched 140kg in Melbourne, Murray is set on breaking this record as well as having the feat officially ratified (which apparently can only be done by competing at the world masters titles rather than non-sanctioned events like the one in Melbourne).

Murray is currently training two hours a day, six days a week. This, she said, was flexible enough to allow her to step up the intensity once a major event looms. She has also been paying more attention to nutrition by using a red meat diet two days a week, a white meat diet two other days and also one day of carbo-loading.

The focus and commitment the pair show to their chosen sport is unquestionable.

Local sportsphiles can look forward to seeing more of the exploits of Muldrock and Murray, as they continue to beat allcomers, well documented over the coming year.