Success at the first-ever adaptive weightlifting competition
On 31 May, the inaugural Adaptive Open was held at Oldbury Academy in Birmingham. The event marked a historic moment for the sport, bringing inclusive weightlifting to the forefront. Developed with the expert guidance of Nigel Barber (WodAptive) and Craig Graham (Alt Movement), the Adaptive Open was the first competition of its kind in the UK.
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The event welcomed athletes across a wide range of classifications, including:
Upper/Lower Extremity
Neuromuscular
Seated
Multi-Extremity Impairments
Short Stature
Blind Athletes
Martin Colclough, of the Programmes Advisory Board for the Invictus Games, attended the event and praised the initiative: “It was a pleasure to be at such a groundbreaking event. British Weight Lifting are world-leading in the progress they’re making to include adaptive athletes in all forms of lifting.”
The day opened with the Neuromuscular category, featuring impressive performances from Jay Southern, Abigail Wynn-Jones, Faith Fordham, and Bill Cremin.
Bill Cremin earned the Personal Best Performance Award after achieving PBs in both the snatch and clean & jerk.
Jay Southern received the Standout Performance Award, selected by centre referee Paul Garvie.
Awards were presented by Councillor Jackie Taylor, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Wellbeing.
In the second session, the Seated category took to the platform, represented by Elle Dempsey, Maddie Gordon, Natalie South-Law, Robert Davy, Nigel Barber, Ben Triglia-Poulton, and Jacob Smith.
Robert Davy received the Personal Best Performance Award for PBs in both lifts.
Elle Dempsey was selected for the Standout Performance Award by referee Jennifer Maysmore-Gee.
Awards were presented by Olympian and dual Commonwealth Games competitor Cyrille Tchatchet II.
The final group of the day featured a mixed category with Zoe Ibbetson, Bex Kenton, Oliver Malone, and Sam Lycett.
Zoe Ibbetson earned the Personal Best Performance Award after hitting PBs in both lifts.
Sam Lycett received the Standout Performance Award, again selected by Paul Garvie.
Sally Boulden, Head of Sport at Oldbury Academy, presented the awards.
In addition, Elle Dempsey and Sam Lycett were each awarded a gift bag from BoxMate for achieving 6 for 6 lifts and hitting PBs.
A representative from BoxMate shared their enthusiasm: “It was amazing to be at the event with BWL and see adaptive athletes compete in this groundbreaking competition.
"Over the past few years, we’ve built strong ties with WodAptive and many of today’s athletes. Seeing them excel in such a well-run event was inspiring.
"We’re committed to our partnership with BWL and thrilled to see inclusivity at the heart of this competition. Giving adaptive athletes the freedom to compete without barriers is vital—and today’s turnout shows there’s real momentum behind this movement.”
All participating athletes received a T-shirt and tank from SBD, and thumb tape from CJC Gains. Award winners also received goodie bags with items from British Weight Lifting, Optimum Nutrition, BoxMate, and WodAptive.
Matthew Curtain, CEO of British Weight Lifting, praised the event’s success: “The Adaptive Open was a fantastic display of the sport of weightlifting. Weightlifting is for everyone, and this game-changing competition proved just that.
"We were proud to host such talented athletes, and I extend my thanks to Nigel Barber and Craig Graham for their invaluable support.
"A heartfelt thank you also goes to our partners: BoxMate, White Lights Media, CJC Gains, To the Bar, and Optimum Nutrition.”
Sam Hayer, dual Commonwealth athlete and Head Coach at Oldbury Academy Weightlifting Club, added: “It was such a pleasure to host the Adaptive Open. It meant a lot to welcome this incredible group of athletes and give them their moment on the platform.
"Seeing our volunteers, staff, and lifters come together made it a truly special day. I’m excited for the future of adaptive weightlifting.”
