A NEW weight-lifting club is empowering youngsters in strength and confidence.

Formed just last year, the Wildboar Weightlifting Club in Lydney has already been made a South-West talent academy and its members aged 11 to 18 have been invited to the GB weightlifting HQ in Loughborough, where they met some of the sport’s top stars.

Chief coach Josh Telling said a summer lifting course at the Fortitude gym in 2017 provided the lift off for the club, which now has 23 regular members who train four times a week.

Josh, 24, said: “We decided there was enough support at the summer course to found the Wildboar club, and it’s just snowballed.

“The youngsters love it – it literally empowers them, not just building strength, but also boosting confidence, as they learn how to do more than they ever imagined.

“It also gives them focus and keeps them active and healthy, which carries over into their school work and life.”

Several lifters are now targetting regional competitions in the autumn, which could lead on to national events. And they recently had the thrill of travelling to Loughborough for a session with national coach and former Commonwealth Games champion Giles Greenwood.

“They were very excited and inspired by the training day with the GB junior squad, which included a great session with Giles,” said Josh.

“They also met 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallists Jack Oliver and Sarah Davies, plus GB international Fraer Morrow, and the whole experience really lifted their motivation about what’s possible, such as competing for GB on the world stage.

“They loved being with the sport’s stars, who told them to enjoy training and lifting and not overstress about it.”

The club has had a lot of input from Lydney RFC’s junior section, and Josh stressed that weightlifting crosses into many sports as a way to improve speed, power and co-ordination.

Training sessions are at Fortitude in development and beginner groups after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays (3.30pm to 4.30pm) and 1pm to 2.30pm on Saturdays, while there is a class for seven to 11-year-olds from 11.30am to 12.30pm on Sundays.

“We’re delighted with the success of the club – it’s an individual sport, but we have a great group dynamic supporting each other. And they get a great feeling of self-achievement from achieving more than they thought they could,” said Josh.

He added that weight training in a recognised club is a safe way for youngsters to get involved in sport. “It’s great for them – there’s lots of research that shows that lifting in a supervised, structured and sensible programme is great for teaching juniors speed, power, co-ordination, well-being and confidence, so come along and have a go.

For more details and to contact the club, see ww.facebook.com/Wildboarweightlifting and https://wildboarweightlifting.wordpress.com