Twelve months after signing-up at Real Strength Studio, Therese Pollard broke her first national powerlifting record on the weekend at the Junior, Masters, Bench Australian Championships in Melbourne.

Pollard set a new masters squat mark of 85.5kg, on the way to winning her class and claiming the best lifter award for women over 60.

Her coach Dean Mawby said Pollard only took up weight training in a bid to keep pace with her “energetic” grandchildren.

“When she first walked through the doors, she didn’t want to be a powerlifter; she soon discovered that she was good at it,” he said.

Pollard was one of 11 Real Strength lifters to compete in Melbourne, with all producing at least one personal best lift, on the biggest powerlifting stage in Melbourne.

“It was a huge weekend with long days filled with tension, but well worth the result,” Mawby said.

In masters competition, Sue Farley finished second in the 57kg over-50 division, with a competition personal best deadlift of 92.5kg,

She narrowly missed 85kg in the squat on two attempts.

Miranda Foyster was second in the 63kg over-50 weight class and finished with a competition personal best squat of 70 kg.

Marco Kandybko was third in the 83kg over-50, class.

He lifted personal bests of 152.5kg in the squat, and 167.5kg in the deadlift.

Ash Hutchins had an amazing competition and finished third in the 63kg under-23 class.

Hutchins squatted a competition-best 130kg, benched 55kg and deadlifted an easy 115kg and reached her 300kg total goal.

Coach Mawby won the 105kg over-40 class and finished as the third best lifter in the over-40 division.

No shortage of drama was involved in world 59kg squat record holder Kevin Gray’s appearance on the stage in the open section.

The 32-year-old twice squatted a new world record mark, only to have both attempts turned down by the referees by a two-to-one decision.

“Kevin was a little under the weather, but managed to make a personal best bench press of 90kg, and deadlift of 162.5 kg, with more in the tank,” Mawby said.

“He dropped a couple of kilograms of bodyweight with the flu but finished very strong.

“He won his division, and was second best lifter of the meet by the narrowest of margins.”

Dylan Mew and Ryan Hughes competed for the first time in the 93kg class.

Both weighed in light but produced strong results.

Mew squatted an equal personal best 130kg, and deadlifted an amazing 170kg.

Hughes danced with his first squat of 200kg, but went on to make a powerful 207.5 kg attempt.

He finished with a very strong deadlift of 232.5kg.

Jacinta Mew lifted on Sunday morning, and like Hughes danced around with her first attempt squat.

After the nerves settled, she went on to record a 47.5kg bench press and a solid 95kg deadlift.