Weight to go Michela!
Congratulations are in order for a member of partnership staff who has become a Scottish weightlifting record holder.
Michela Costa-Watt, Programme Manager, broke the previous record for both the ‘snatch’ and ‘clean and jerk’ lifts at a national weightlifting competition, the Scottish Masters Open, held in Arbroath in June this year.
We caught up with Michela to chat about her recent achievement, as well as her passion for fitness and why she believes the mental and social benefits of exercise far outweigh the physical…
“I’ve been interested in fitness since I was a young girl and have done a lot of different things; from tennis to ice-skating, swimming and a bit of everything. More recently I’ve been focusing on CrossFit and then weightlifting in the last year.
“I joined Kilmarnock Amateur Weightlifting Club in April last year. It’s always difficult to enter a new place, but everyone at the club is very welcoming and the coaches are fantastic.
“One of the coaches, Charles ‘Chick’ Hamilton, has been the face of the club for ages, and the other coach is Graham Keane.”
After joining Kilmarnock Amateur Weightlifting Club, Michela went from strength to strength, progressing consistently. Her first competition was in June 2023.
“I won in my category for age and weight. Every weightlifting competition has these divisions. There is a formula, called the Sinclair Formula, that takes your age and weight into consideration to ensure neither are a handicap when competing. Applying that formula, which evens out everything, I was also the best female lifter of the day.
“On that day I also gained the Scottish record in both the snatch and the clean and jerk lifts for my age and weight category.
“I come with a background of CrossFit, so I wasn’t new to weightlifting, but the standards required for weightlifting competitions are a bit stricter.
“A lot of CrossFit is just moving weight at speed and there doesn’t need to be any quality to it. However, in a weightlifting competition you can only do three lifts for each (the Clean and Jerk and the Snatch) and at least one per type needs to meet certain standards in order to score on the board.
“There are three judges who give a pass or a fail and this goes by majority, meaning two judges failing or passing you makes the decision.”
While the physical benefits of exercise are well documented, Michela explains that her love of an active lifestyle comes from its ability to lift her mood and empower her mentally:
“I always say that the physical benefit of exercise is a positive side effect, as I focus on the mental health side. Fitness becomes a bit of an addiction as it gives you serotonin and a good mood afterwards.
“When I feel too tired to go to the gym I always think about how much better I feel afterwards. I know I’m going to be happier when I come out.
“Whatever the duration of your session, it’s a period in which you don’t think about anything, you just move your body.”
As well as providing a boost to her mental health, Michela says the social aspect of group exercise she enjoys at the weightlifting club is another reason she continues to attend:
“The club welcomes anyone, of any age. I am one of the the oldest. They also have children going. No matter your age or background they are there to help you learn.
“There’s also a social aspect to it and there’s always somebody there to give you advice, help you improve and encourage you.
“There’s just such a positive atmosphere. It is a very supportive place.”
All of us here at East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership would like to congratulate Michela on this tremendous sporting accolade. We are immensely proud of her and wish her the very best in the next stage of her weightlifting journey.
Weight to go!
