October 26, 2023 08:22am
Two sisters from Brixham College are on an exciting sporting journey following their recent success in the British Weightlifting Championships in Leeds.
Siblings Aleksandra and Julia, who both achieved gold medals within their age and 40kg category, are becoming the formidable team to watch in the sport following their British record.
The girls represented the Hampshire Barbell Club, an Olympic weightlifting club based in Hampshire, as well as Brixham College in the tournament.
Speaking of the duo's success, Julia said: “I am so proud of what my sister and I have achieved. I never actually thought this would ever happen. I used to watch the championships on TV and live on YouTube and would be so inspired by what I saw. I thought that’s where I would like to be one day, but I never thought we would ever get there, so I’m quite proud of that.”
But to succeed in the sport comes at a cost, which members of their family and the wider Brixham community have helped to pay through fundraising events such as cake sales and coffee mornings.
“Never give up on striving to achieve your dreams. From my experience, I would encourage other students similar to me to try their hardest,” says Julia.
She added: “There will be some days where you feel like you can’t continue, but don’t let those days affect you in the long run; it will be possible if you stay committed to it.”
The team is an impressive family unit as the girls’ dad, Tomasz, coaches them throughout their training and attends their tournament.
He said: “As someone who has competed in weightlifting myself, I’m really proud of what my girls have achieved in their competitions. They are truly inspiring to me and other people their age.
“They work really hard to achieve what they have done and manage the challenging times with a good attitude, so I’m excited to follow their journey and coach them along the way.”
Both Aleksandra and Julia have ambitions to participate in more competitive tournaments, with the hope of gaining British citizenship so they can represent Great Britain as they strive to achieve more gold.
Everyone at Brixham College and the Thinking Schools Academy Trust is very proud of Aleksandra and Julia’s achievement. Well done!