JustLift ascends to top of Ontario weightlifting scene

By Ottawa Sportspage

JustLift earned its “finest moment yet” as the Ottawa-based club captured this season’s team champion award at the Mar. 30-31 Ontario Weightlifting Championships in Toronto.

Third overall and tops in his men’s 109 kg division, Rich Davidson qualified to represent Canada at the Apr. 20-28 Pan American Championships in Guatemala, while Julia Ryan (women’s 87 kg) lifted the most weight out of all females and was 4th in the Sinclair rankings (which compares athletes across all weight classes) to lead JustLift to a total haul of 6 gold medals, 2 silver and 3 bronze.

“This is a huge turning point for the club,” owner/head coach Greg Chin wrote on JustLift’s Instagram page after the event. “We’ve worked hard steadily for more than half a decade in an effort to develop the best Weightlifters we can. It’s an indescribable feeling to see the team’s development result in so many medals and an award such as the team trophy! There was a time that I could only imagine our athletes reaching this height… And yet here we are!”

Making her debut at the senior level, Physics Elite’s Catrina Earnshaw won the women’s 55 kg division and was 7th overall.