A new world record was only part of the out-of-this-world experience for Rhaea Fowler at the World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The Moose Jaw product finished sixth in the women's powerlifting sub-75 kg class a week ago at the Games with a total of 542.5 kilos. Fowler broke her own world junior record of 152.5 kg in the bench press in the process.
The world record was the icing on the cake in what was one of the best powerlifting experiences in Fowler's phenomenal career.
"It's up there, it's probably number one," said Fowler.
Her bench press matched her lift at Canadian Powerlifting Union's nationals in Moose Jaw, but that lift came in the 82.5 kg weight class. She set her previous world record mark of 150.5 kg in the sub-75 kg class at the Arnold Classic in March.
The World Games is hosted by the International Olympic Committee every four years and features 32 different sports that are not in the Olympics.
A small, elite field of 40 female powerlifters was divided into four weight classes. Because of that Fowler faced some competitors who were in the usual 67.5 kg class and others from the 75 kg class.
Due to the size of the weight classes, the winners were determined by their Wilks formula total - a number based on the weight of the competitor and the amount they lifted - rather than on the sheer amount of weight lifted.
For more, read Thursday's Times-Herald.
