The three-time record-breaking powerlifter discusses how she discovered her talent in powerlifting by accident, the mental benefits of the sport and why she will probably still be competing at 70
Not everyone can say they realised they had a knack for a sport after unknowingly breaking a national record—unless you’re Farhanna Farid.
The Singaporean powerlifter was at the gym one day in 2017, working out with her boyfriend and his friends. When they decided to do a mock meet to see how heavy they each could lift, Farhanna joined them. When it came to the deadlifts, she started with 120kg. When that proved easy, she went on to lift 130kg and then 140kg. Surprised by this, her boyfriend looked up the national record for Farhanna’s weight group and saw that she had just deadlifted 15kg heavier than the existing record.
Wanting to see how far she could take this, Farhanna started training competitively and signed on for her first competition in 2018. She’s not looked back since, competing in championships globally, from Malta to South Africa. Farhanna is also the first Singaporean to win gold in an international powerlifting competition in the women’s open category.
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When she’s not competing, the former pharmacist is coaching aspiring pro powerlifters at CoachbyMarc and working on building a brand of her own soon.
In conversation with Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei on the latest episode of the Crazy Smart Asia podcast, Farhanna talks about how being stubborn pushes her to reach beyond her limits, why she wants to be still competing at 70, and the psychological benefits of powerlifting. Here are a few excerpts from the conversation.
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On the difference between weightlifting and powerlifting
“With weightlifting, you throw weights over your head. For powerlifting, we’re lazy (laughs). We don’t throw anything over the head… well, I guess you have the bench press, but then you’re lying down. Powerlifting consists of three main lifts: the squat, bench press and deadlift. When it comes to competition, you get three attempts for each lift and they take the total of your highest, most successful lift.”
On thriving under pressure
“I believe that to grow, to excel, you need a certain level of pressure. I have accepted the fact I can never be perfect, but I think that pursuit, that chase for perfection puts you on a good trajectory in terms of standards, quality, and I guess [it raises] your standards and [pushes you to create] lofty goals.”
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On the power of her partner’s motivation
“Sometimes it takes another person to recognise your potential. Yeah. I don't think I would have like gone into [powerlifting] if not for my partner. If not for him guiding me [along], I don’t think I would have gone down [this] path.”
On what she would say to her younger self
“You’re on your own journey. It’s okay to be the odd one because you’re going to continue moving against the grain. You’re going to continue to move to the beat of your own drums and that’s okay because that means that you are blazing a trail for others.”
On getting to where she is
“I don't know if anyone is as stubborn as I am. My mom can vouch for that. I think being stubborn and committed to a cause can take you really far, and I think that makes or breaks a person.”
Listen to the episode and subscribe using your preferred podcast platform on our Crazy Smart Asia podcast page.