JUNE 2019:

When life throws you a curve ball, you can either accept its’ beaten you, or stare it down and move forward.
Condobolin’s Charlotte Porter, chose to the power of positive thinking and committed to making a difference in her life, embarking on a journey that would see her become a role model for her children and her community.
She could have dwelled on the negatives, but she chose not to. After suffering a stroke late last year, Charlotte could have given in to the bleakness of her diagnosis, but instead she channelled her energy into a new challenge – powerlifting.
She competed in her very first event on Sunday, 9 June and secured second place in the 100 kilogram plus category. She managed a 55 kilogram personal best in the bench press and 175 kilograms in the deadlift.
“I am still on a pretty big high,” Charlotte said. “I am really proud of myself.”
But the road to success, has not been an easy one.
“Last year in December, I discovered I had a mild stroke after a tingling sensation running up my arm,” she explained.
“I raced to the Aboriginal Medical service to seek advice. I was rushed to condo hospital and from there rushed over to Orange Based Hospital, my whole life flashed before me and thought I was going to die. After a few days in hospital the specialist told me that I had a stroke and that I may never regain my strength back.”
This information was hard to take in, but Charlotte know she had to stay strong for her family.
“After 16 weeks of bed rest I started to do physio and light gym work, I promised myself I wouldn’t be a burden to my kids or my family, so I got back into the swing of things,” she stated.
“After that I started to regain my arm strength, kept pushing through pain and sleepless nights to get the feeling back. My doctors couldn’t believe that I was bouncing back quicker than anyone recovering from a stroke.
“Months went on and I was selected to represent the Woodbridge Cup Women’s Open side, I was so excited to have regained most of the capacity in my arm back.
“After footy I joined back up with the Condo Kilo Killers and promised myself I wouldn’t allow myself to be stressed out anymore, as work played a huge role in my stroke. I was mentally and physically drained, I wasn’t taken the proper time to look after myself or spending time with my kids.”
Her discovery of powerlifting came about by complete surprise, but now she can see its part of her destiny.
“I stumbled across an Instagram account with a chick that had mad skills as a powerlifter,” Charlotte said.
“I mean I was doing all this training to be a weightlifter but found that powerlifting was way more exciting, so I messaged her on Insta and asked who her trainer was and how can I get in contact with him.
“This was how I was introduced to Jake Fisher of the Ultra Fitness and Strength Gym in Canberra. He has helped me build my strength and gave me so much advice mentally. He specifically programmed my exercise routine to make me stronger.
“After months of training, Jake asked me to compete in a novice event in Canberra, At first I doubted myself because my arm still hurt at times, and I didn’t know if I was prepped enough mentally.
“I spent so much time at the gym investing in myself that I decided to accept my coaches’ offer and believe that I could compete. There are not many powerlifting people in Condo, so I became really excited about competing.”
This meant training three to five times a week, depending on the program Jake set for Charlotte.
Her next goal is to compete in the Battle of the Gyms in Canberra. She is gaining confidence, and wanted to say a big thank you to her sponsors, Urban Funk Originals, Brayden Davis Personal Training, Condobolin RSL Club, Yawarra Aboriginal Corporation and Explosive Fitness, for helping her to make her mark on the powerlifting world.
“And last but not least, I want to say thank you to my husband, James, for the ultimate support in the gym mentally and physically. I couldn’t have done it without him,” Charlotte concluded.