Frances Harman is on her way to compete on the world stage.
Tauranga mother of five Frances Harman can deadlift 210 kilograms.
But for her, lifting heavy weights is not just about the physical challenge.
“It challenges your mind,” she says.
Harman said she was proud to be the only woman weightlifter representing New Zealand in the 2023 Static Monsters World Championships in London on July 28-29.
The Static Monsters World Championships offer a place for the best strong men and women in the world to compete head-to-head. It is an extension of the Static Monsters Worldwide, which offers competitors a world ranking on their log lift and axle deadlift.
Those who place in the top 10 in their class at the worldwide event are invited to compete in the world championships.
Harman can lift 210kg axle deadlifts and 72.5kg log lifts, and at the Static Monsters Worldwide qualifying round last October, she placed eighth in the 40-plus Masters Category.
“My deadlift weight has improved 2.5kgs since my max last year, so I am feeling pretty confident,” she said.
“My goal is to finish in the top three. This is my third year competing, but the first year I have made it internationally.”
Harman said her national record was for the heaviest stone over a 1.2-metre bar at 107kg, and she currently holds New Zealand’s record for the heaviest build for a Masters female in the Static Monsters.
The mother of five children, aged eight to 21, said she never thought she would make it this far and encouraged women to “step out of their boundaries and try new things”.
Harman said she started training in 2019 after her friend took her to a free workshop.
“After that, I was hooked,” she said. “I love it because it challenges your mind and you’re only going up against yourself.”
Frances Harman is heading to the Static Monsters World Championships in London this month. Photo / Alex Cairns
“When you achieve something you’re like, ‘Oh yay, I did that’.”
Harman trained twice a week at the Fitness on Fire gym in Pāpāmoa with her trainer Jack Thain.
“I am stoked for her,” Thain said. “She has been very dedicated to this competition.”
“She has come a long way since she started, she has hit a lot of PBs [personal bests] along the way.”
Harriet Laughton is a journalism student at the Auckland University of Technology.
