A health scare in 2014, led Alison Rodrigues to re-evaluate her life choices. At the time she was leading a stressful life, working at a multinational bank and overseeing the execution of a major event, among other tasks. She had a minor heart attack brought on by work pressure, poor eating habits and smoking. She was 49 at the time. A year later, she had a major operation to remove her uterus and ovaries due to a fibroid and cyst.
“That was instant menopause and my mind and body went through some unplanned changes that made me even more anxious,” she explains. “I had to take a back seat in the kind of work I was doing.”
Rodrigues decided it was time to lead a less “arduous” life. She left her job and began freelancing instead. However, the result of that was that she started to put on weight.
“That’s when I realised that I had to do something to change the condition of my health and I slowly started joining running events.”
Her first was a 2.5km, which then became a 5km. Soon she started doing 10km runs and completed three KL Marathons, which ironically was an event she used to organise but had not participated in.
“It was full circle for me to have been able to manage and plan the event to participate in the event.”
Since her health was progressing, Rodrigues decided to begin weight training. Her partner was already competing in a couple of powerlifting events and had triumphed in those competitions, prompting her to also try the sport. She was 55 at the time.
“I learnt about the sport and saw it as a challenge to compete in powerlifting when I learnt that it was a sport that anyone, of any weight, could participate in to compete,” she explains. “And so I started in 2020 with an online coach to train powerlifting.”
Soon she found herself getting stronger and her mind became clearer.
“I learnt that discipline, being focused and doing the work helped mould my body and mind to lift heavy,” she states. “I blocked out my age and started to believe in myself.”
Rodrigues decided to go into powerlifting, full-on. She learnt new skills and got certified as a personal trainer and a posture correction coach. She also began learning digital skills, social media and affiliate marketing. Now, the powerlifter is an exco-member of the Malaysian Association for Powerlifting (MAP) as well as a certified referee.
Last year, Rodrigues won gold in the Women Master 2 Category at the National Powerlifting Championships 2023. She set a new national record in the category for squats at 110kg with a bench press at 65kg and deadlift at 133kg.
“In a nutshell, I gained sharper thinking, improved focus and memory, enhanced mood and reduced stress,” she explains.
She admits that there are some misconceptions about powerlifting, particularly when it comes to women taking up the sport. Most tend to assume that powerlifting is the same as weightlifting and that the women tend to be muscular.
Some women may look more muscular as powerlifters follow strict meal plans, have supplementation and grow lean muscle, she explains. But most female powerlifters aren’t, citing Farhana Faridd, Sara Guzman and Sonita Muluh as examples.
Powerlifting, she adds, is also often misunderstood and is riddled with various myths, which she dispels. An important one is that powerlifting is for the youngInstead, powerlifting has numerous benefits for older individuals.
“It is a fantastic way for older adults to improve their physical and mental health, maintain independence, and live a more active and fulfilling life,” she says.
She admits that at her age, 59, there are “aches and pains to deal with” but puts it down to being part of the process of becoming stronger. As a prevention, Rodrigues’s routine involves mobility movements, stretches and foam-rolling before and after each training session.
“Due to my age, my metabolism kicks in slower so I need to spend at least 10 minutes doing warm-up sets before doing the main sets. For someone younger, their metabolism kicks in faster. They still do warm-up sets but less time is spent to warm up.”
As someone who has been an athlete all her life, she sticks to her training schedule diligently.
“The discipline to get up and get the training down is like second nature to me,” she states. “I’ve become so conditioned that I have to go the gym 4 times a week to get my training done.”
Now, Rodrigues hopes to create greater awareness regarding powerlifting. She and her teammates are planning to hold a Women’s Lifting Party in June. Through this MAP hopes to introduce the sport to women by focusing on squats and deadlifts only. The event will also enable the association to scout for new talent that can be groomed as part of the association’s women’s development programme.
For those planning to go into the sport, Rodrigues advises to engage a coach who will develop an appropriate training programme. – Rahul Khan
