I met Iryna last month when she competed at the 2011 Women’s Pro Am at Super Training Gym. She took the $1500 prize money in the raw division and impressed us all with her poise on the platform, strength and flawless technique. I had a chance to visit with her and hear a little bit about her career in powerlifting.
Tell us about yourself. How did you get started powerlifting?
I was born in 1984 inMinsk. Minsk is the main city in Belarus. I graduated from Belarussian state economic university and now I am occupied as chief accountant. I started to attend the sport gym when I was 17 years old. I wanted to become stronger but I did not expect at that time that I would go into powerlifting! The championship of the city was my first meet when I was 19 years old. I lifted 282.5 kg in the weight category 56kg. (Author’s note: Iryna told me that she had not been involved in sports prior to joining the gym, but instead had been focused on competitive chess.)
Where do you train?
I am training at the gym of Belarussian state technical university. This gym is for everybody: for sportsmen and for people who want to keep fit.
What are your best lifts in competition?
My best geared lifts were: squat-182.5 kg; bench press -140 kg; deadlift -192.5 kg. The best total was 515 kg in the weight class 67.5 (European championship-2009 WPC).
My best raw lifts are 177.5-122.5-200kg and 500kg total with knee wraps (Women”s Pro Am 2011) and 475 kg total without wraps.
Are you sponsored or supported by Belarus or any other sponsor?
Unfortunately, nobody sponsors or supports me. I spend on sport almost everything I earn. (Author’s note: While Russia still provides state support to athletes, Iryna told me thatBelarusis extremely poor. Not only does she get no support or sponsorship, she has to pay large fees to the government for travel visas on top of her travel expenses.)
Who coaches you?
My coach Vladimir Drozd has been working with me since my first appearance in the gym. He coaches bodybuilders and weightlifters, too.
What training methods do you follow? Can you give us an example of a typical training week?
I train three times per week. I do not have a special program. Much depends on how I feel myself. If I feel tired we include some changes in my training or it is better to miss the training at all and to start on the next day.
What are some of your favorite accessory movements that have helped you develop your amazing lifts?
Three things are necessary for good lifting:
– a good rest
– a good diet
-positive emotions
Everyone who saw you lift at the Pro Am was very impressed! Which lifters do you admire most?
I am glad that I got acquainted with such strong lifters and interesting people like Amy Weisberger, Dana Shealey, the strongest female lifter Laura Phelps, Nicolai Stern. It was a great pleasure for me to share with them the platform.
You went right from a win at the Pro Am to the Clash for Cash. How did you do there? How did you prepare yourself to do back-to-back meets like that, especially considering the 35 hours of travel it took you to get here?
I was the second at the Clash for Cash. Taylar Stallings with her unattainable squat 440lbs and deadlift 525 lbs was the first. I am satisfied with my 1045 lbs total. I managed to do it with the help of three things mentioned in the seventh question.
What are your future goals in powerlifting?
My permanent goal is to improve my result all the time, from the previous championship to the next.
Will we see you again next year at the Women’s Pro Am?
I plan to go to the Women’s Pro Am next year.