The Dunedin coach of a special-needs powerlifting team is set to train in Spain to gain the skills to get her team to the Oceania/Asia Championships.
Otago Amateur Weightlifting Association coach Amanda Young (47) has been given several thousand dollars from the New Zealand Powerlifting Federation and Special Olympics Otago to attend a four-day powerlifting training course in Murcia, Spain, from March 31.
The chance to attend the diploma course was recognition of her work training a team of eight lifters with special needs in Dunedin, she said.
She hoped some of the team were on a path to representing New Zealand.
"That is our biggest aim. It's about time these guys were rewarded for their hard work.''
Association team member Ryan Stewart (30) could bench-press 75kg, deadlift 145kg and squat 87.5kg.
"He weighs 59kg, so that's pretty damn good,'' Ms Young said.
The team was working towards qualification for the Oceania/Asia Championships in Christchurch in December, in either the "mainstream'' or special-needs sections.
The team would begin fundraising to help members compete across the South Island and to fund the shortfall to get their coach to Spain.
The fundraising starts with a carwash at Vision in Portsmouth Dr tomorrow.
