Britney rules the world in Para powerlifting
Elaine Keogh
A Mullagh teenager who fought to live after a traffic collision, which has left her partly paralysed, has won Gold in the World Para powerlifting Championships in Dubai.
Britney Arendse (17) wants to be part of the Irish team at the next Paralympics in Tokyo and has begun her journey there by being the first ‘Junior’ girl representing Ireland in the Junior para-powerlifting World Cup to win a medal, and it was gold.
She won the medal in 73kg group this (Thursday) morning.
“She trains so very hard and we are very proud of her,” said her mum Bridgitte.
She is with Britney in Dubai for the competition and she said that Britney trains every day in a gym in her home in Mullagh, county Cavan. She follows a strict diet and lifestyle regime and stays in contact with her coaching team using the Internet.
Bridgitte said the June 2009 accident, “which put a hole in our lives,” has not deterred her only daughter and “me and her father Denver give her all the opportunities we can.”
The accident happened as the mother and daughter, with a friend and her two children, were driving home from the beach. It left them all badly injured but Britney was left paralysed from the waist down.
It happened just one week after Britney had celebrated her first Holy Communion and her mum said the first year after the accident was very tough for Britney.
Her mum said, “she fought for her life for three weeks. She spent nearly six months in Temple Street Childrens Hospital. Unfortunately Britney was then left paralysed from the waist down. She then went to the National Rehabilitation Centre where she spent another five months.”
Things changed when Britney had hydrotherapy as part of her rehabilitation. “She loved being in the water,” and “she is a very happy child. We deal with whatever comes our way, our faith is also important to us.”
Britney began taking part in wheelchair sports. She joined North East Thunder Basketball team in Ardee and trains there every week. The team travel all over Ireland for basketball competitions.
Britney is an Irish citizen but was born in South Africa and moved with her parents to Ireland when she was five.
Also last year Britney was approached by a para powerlifting coach, Ken Hurley, to try out powerlifting. It is powerlifting for people with disabilities and uses a wider bench.
Participants are strapped down on the bench in order to lift the weights. Para Powerlifting is new to women in Ireland and currently there is only one senior lady representing Ireland and Britney is the first junior girl.
“Britney started training in August 2016. She really loved it and excelled very quickly.”
She secured a silver medal in the Irish Nationals in Cork in November 2016 and she qualified for the 2017 Fazza Junior World Cup in Dubai.
Bridgitte said, “Britney has really overcome all the odds and is a real brave and strong girl. She is training very hard and is sacrificing a lot for this dream. She will be competing in about three different competitions in different countries a year, representing Ireland.”
She said that at the moment the family has to fund this themselves and they are asking for support to pay for flights and accommodation.
“Britney has to have a carer with her at all times, so the funds raised will help with all the above mentioned. Britney is also paving her way towards the Paralympics in Tokyo 2020. Britney is a brilliant child and we are very proud of her,” she added.
Britney also has the support of her grandmother Sybil McKenna as well as the community in Mullagh.
Her next stop is Mexico in September for another World cup.
https://www.gofundme.com/help-britney-get-to-the-2020-paralt