From Ordinary Mum to International Powerlifter!

Anna Claire Thompson has gone from an ordinary mum to an international powerlifter! And she is not ready to stop yet!

At age 30, with three small children, a sedentary lifestyle and chronic back pain, I had no idea that taking up weight training would lead me to representing my country in a sport.

Training is intense but carefully balanced so that I can lead a somewhat normal life outside of powerlifting – caring for my family, running my art jewelry business and odd jobbing to help pay for the considerable expenses of training and competing at this level. I train in the gym four days a week, and with recovery activities and physical therapy time included I spend 15-20 hours a week working on getting stronger.

I’m training because I love my body and I’m celebrating what it’s capable of. I’m proudly taking up space in a traditionally male-dominated sport, not fading into the background but persisting in my journey to find out just how far I can go.

In 2015  while I was competing at the New Zealand Fitness Expo in Auckland, I was on the lookout for some bright, patterned leggings. The Fashion Brazil tall caught my eye and ignited my curiosity!  

Eventually I left the stand with three pairs of Fashion Brazil leggings. Those same pairs are still going strong today, and I’ve been adding to my collection ever since. 

I live in Central Otago, the coldest and hottest region in New Zealand, and throughout winter I wear my full-length Fashion Brazil leggings to train in below zero temperatures in my garage gym and as a thermal layer under my snow pants up the mountain snowboarding. 

The beauty about Fashion Brazil leggings is that I can wear them during the harsh Otago winter as well as the hot summer days as they are made with smart yarn that adjusts to your body temperature.

The bright, exciting colours and patterns of Fashion Brazil Clothing reflects what I’ve gained from strength training and how my self-confidence has grown, the WOW factor makes me stand out and be a strong and powerful woman in a very male dominated sport!  

Watch this space as I take you through my journey of Powerlifting around the world. 

Love Anna x

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