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Highridge native powers her way to world championships

Danielle Philibert has come a long ways from wrestling steers on her Highridge family farm.
Danielle Philibert performing a squat lift during her training in a gym in Edmonton.
Danielle Philibert performing a squat lift during her training in a gym in Edmonton.

Danielle Philibert has come a long ways from wrestling steers on her Highridge family farm.

The Barrhead Composite High School 2010 grad recently found out that she would be representing Canada at the World Powerlifting Championships in Minsk, Belurus next week.

“I actually did no sports at all in high school. I wasn’t really what you would have called a very athletic student,” she said, adding most of her extracurricular efforts were as part of the 4-H club. “The closest thing to a sport that I did was wrestling a steer on the farm.”

Her non-interest in athletics continued into her first few years of post-secondary at the University of Alberta.

Originally she had planned to go into veterinary medicine, but after taking a few classes Philibert realized she really liked science, specifically toxicology and the effects of crude oil and the oil sands process water on marine and freshwater aquatic life.

“It is really relevant to me and I feel especially connected to it because my dad had to work off farm in the oil fields,” she said, adding she is about half way to getting her PhD in the subject.

While studying at the university, as an undergraduate, on a whim, Philibert and her roommate decided to join the school’s rowing club. Although she said she enjoyed her time with the club she ended up quitting because it was having an impact on her studies.

In September 2015, she decided to try her hand at some basic weight training, basically in an effort to get fit. However, the day before Christmas Philibert’s training became more serious.

“I remember it vividly. That is the day I deadlifted 300 pounds,” she said.

In the spring Philibert entered her first official powerlifting competition. It was here that Edmonton-based power-lifting trainer Ahmad Eid scouted her and asked her to join the ranks of athletes he coaches.

Philibert accepted, and a few months later in Kamloops, BC, in the summer of 2016, she competed and won the Western Canadian Championships in the 84-kilogram-and-under weight class.

The next big meet Philibert competed in was the Canadian Powerlifting Union Championships this March, in Saguenay, Que where she finished second lifting a total of 437.5 kilograms.

Although powerlifting is composed of three separate disciplines — the squat, bench press and deadlift — in Canadian competitions an athlete’s ranking is determined by total weight. Philbert lifted 162.5 kg, 90 kg, and 185 kg in the three.

In international competition and the world championships, athletes can medal in each of the individual disciplines, as well as one for total weight.

“I was really happy with each of my lifts, but especially more so with my deadlifts that I have had trouble with coming up to par since Westerns,” she said. “As a newcomer who has only been in the sport for a little more than a year, to be able to see such improvement and be able to medal at a national championships is just incredible.”

Even though Philibert placed second at nationals, her place on the Canadian team for the world championships wasn’t a given.

Because powerlifting isn’t an Olympic sport, athletes in Canada are on the hook for a lot of the expenses, including travel and accommodation and have to apply for one of the seven spots on the team.

“When I applied, I didn’t actually think I would be accepted. They only take the best seven athletes and to be included in them especially considering I have only been doing this for a little over a year is a little overwhelming,” Philibert said.

Going into the meet Philibert is ranked sixth overall and while a podium finish is probably out of her grasp, she has a few goals for the meet.

“I really would like to do a 175 kg squat. It’s a lofty goal, but I think it is something I’m capable of. I would also like to deadlift a 190 kg and bench press 90 kg,” she said.

Philibert concluded by thanking all the people who have supported her over the last year as she makes this journey possible.

“It really does take a community of people that allows me not only to work, but to train and compete at this level,” she said.

Phillibert will be competing on June 24 and the event can be seen online at www.powerlifting-ipf.com.


Barry Kerton

About the Author: Barry Kerton

Barry Kerton is the managing editor of the Barrhead Leader, joining the paper in 2014. He covers news, municipal politics and sports.
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