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SA athlete Will Swart is aiming to impress at the Senior Weightlifting Championships in Mauritius this week, with some personal bests in sight.
The 27-year-old is working his way towards representing the country at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and qualifying for a continental competition this month has given him a boost.
Speaking to SABC Sport prior to his departure, Swart had used an entry-level lifting event in Johannesburg to assess his readiness.
Swart identified areas to improve as he targets big numbers in Mauritius.
"So normally, a week before a competition, you'll do what's called a 'taper' or a 'deload'. The amount of volume that you normally do will come down a lot, so that on competition day, you're feeling rested and recovered, and your body is ready to fire," explained Swart.
Swart adds that he is not going to put pressure on himself.
"Weightlifting is a very individual sport. As much as it is competitive, I think as soon as you start thinking about what other people do, that's when you lose your way.
"I always try to think about what I'm going for. Every competition I do, I want to look at what I did in the last competition, try to do a little more, and try to get new personal bests," stated Swart.
A relatively new kid on the block in weightlifting, Swart is full of hope that by the time other major competitions like the Commonwealth Games and Olympics come around, there will be more athletes stepping up.
"I'm still very new to the sport; my first competition was in 2023, so it's only been about two years.
"I feel like since I've started, I can see a lot of growth in the sport, but it's challenging in South Africa. We are not professional athletes, we don't get paid to do it, everyone has a full-time job, but we do it because we love it.
"We've got some really good athletes. I think if we can get the right programmes and support in place, then we can get athletes to the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games. Personally, those are my goals," declared the powerful lifter.
