Athlete Articles — Nicola Paviglianiti

By Nicola Paviglianiti During my time in powerlifting, I have seen countless romantic relationships develop through the sport. The barbell seems to have a special ability to bring out a strong romantic bond between two people. You don’t have to look far to see a number of well-known powerlifters and members of the strength community in Canada and around the world that are dating, in serious relationships, or that are happily married. I met my own boyfriend Ben Langley in the warmup room at the 2017 Canadian Powerlifting Nationals in Quebec. He was handling his cousin after his own competition,...

A Squatting Scholar seeking to understand the strength of the sport within the humanitarian community. by Nicola Paviglianiti (this blog was originally posted on the Lift 4 Life website) Zimbabwe community center gyms. Lift4Life powerlifting. A little Canadian lifter taking a leap of faith and off to learn. That’s me!                        Introducing “me”. My name is Nicola Paviglianiti, and I am a Team Canada powerlifter in the female junior 52kg weight class. I balance being under the bar with the books, and I am currently pursuing my Masters degree in...

by Nicola Paviglianiti “Are you actually a man?” “Can I see your calluses? Can you flex for me?” “Would you win if we wrestled?” “Are you strong enough to make a grown man feel like a child?” “Be careful sweetheart! Are you sure you can lift that?” Little do they know I am still working with my warmup weights…. “It’s not normal for a girl to bench with the blue plates..” Referring to the 20kg’s I am about to lift. For reps. “…Would you consider bearing my children? You're very strong!” *** These are just a few of the countless...

by Nicola Paviglianiti   “Where are you now? You still train while travelling? How?”With my love for exploring the world, people are often surprised I still manage to get my lifts in while away from the comforts of my ‘home’ gym in Canada. If you love to lift like me, life would not be the same without powerlifting, and whether it be a conference, an internship, school, or a family vacation, my motivation to train always comes with me. Powerlifting of all sports isn’t the easiest for training abroad (when someone figures out how to transport a rack and a...