When Simon Voakes first embarked on his fitness journey in 2016, he entered the gym intending to lose weight. Seven years later, he is a three-time British powerlifting champion.
Waking up one day and deciding that a health kick is needed is a story that many of us can relate to. That was exactly what Simon decided in 2016, when by his admission he was “fairly overweight and fairly unfit”.
Cardio was the order of the day for 5ft 3” Simon, whose weight dropped from just over 80kg to 59kg at his lowest. Eventually, the Wycombe Wanderers fan gravitated towards resistance machines and free weights, changing his focus from burning fat to building muscle.
“I just found that I really enjoyed lifting and that I was fairly good at it,” Simon told Fen Regis Trophies. “It was probably about 2019 when I sort of made the decision that powerlifting was where my main skill set was and what I wanted to do.”
Competitive Powerlifting
After successfully achieving his weight loss target, Simon discovered a passion for lifting weights, getting a kick from setting personal bests in the gym. Soon, he was being nudged towards taking part in competitions, which Simon initially gawked at until he realised that the numbers he was posting on his own were not too far off being competition standard.
“It was those big lifts,” he said. “The big compound lifts; the squat, bench, deadlift, I seemed to be quite good at.
“People often said to me that I should think about competing…I laughed!
“Then, I looked at the numbers that were involved in competition and realised that I wasn’t that far away.
“I thought that, with a little bit of training, I probably could compete.”
Compete he did, eventually. Owing to Covid, Simon’s first competition came in May 2021 at a regional divisional qualifier for the British Classic Masters Powerlifting Championship, two years after making the decision to move into competitive powerlifting.
Becoming British Champion and Finding a Coach
Not only did Simon qualify for the championship in his 66kg division, but he would go on to win his first national title without any form of professional coaching.
That was something that Simon was keen to change to push himself to the next level, which is why he got in contact with Charlotte Macpherson, a renowned powerlifting coach who has competed at international level.
“After winning the British nationals in ’21, I thought to myself that I’ve done well here, winning the nationals coaching myself, I’m doing okay.
“To really progress and get to where I want to be, which is the international platform, I needed a bit of assistance I needed some proper guidance to really get my technique down.
“At that point, I contacted Char and we’ve been working together since.”
Since teaming up with Charlotte, Simon has added plenty more honours to his trophy cabinet, including two further British titles. Though he is proud of those championship wins, it doesn’t compare with competing on the international stage representing his country, which is a dream he has realised under his coach’s tutelage.
“Putting on the GB singlet at the European Masters has to be my proudest achievement so far”, said Simon. “That was part of a five-year plan, so to have done that already is incredible.
“Hopefully, I will be wearing it again at some point.”
If you would like more information on how you can take part in competitions, please visit the British Powerlifting’s website here on how to enter.
By Aaron Gratton
