Record-smashing powerlifter, 68, says she lives for the 'clang' of the weights

On Thursday morning, 68-year-old Mava Brydges put the weight of a household refrigerator onto her back, lowered herself toward the floor and then stood up again.

Her 132.5-kilogram squat at the Canadian Powerlifting National Championships in St. John's, N.L., was five kilograms shy of the national record for her age and weight class, which she set herself in 2022.

In the next few hours, she set two new records, finishing the morning by hoisting a 140-kilogram barbell off the ground as a crowd of gobsmacked fans cheered and shouted her name.

"This is my sport that I love," Brydges said minutes after her final lift, her eyes filling with tears. "It's an amazing feeling to be able to do what I do at this age."

Powerlifting is gaining popularity in North America, particularly among women. A Physical Education, Casey Johnston's 2025 memoir about ditching running and diet culture for barbells and squat racks, made several top book lists and was a staff favourite at Scientific American. It was published a month before another popular weightlifting memoir, Lift, by former Wall Street Journal reporter Anne Marie Chaker.

Even the numbers at this year's Canadian powerlifting championships tell a story. More than 800 athletes from across the country registered for the event, making it the largest championships ever, said meet director Jeff Butt. Nearly 50 per cent of those signed up are women.

"I think people are finally getting it," said Linda Rousseau, a 72-year-old powerlifter from Ontario who competed Thursday in the Masters 4 category. She and Brydges were in the same flight of equipped lifters, who wear tight suits and knee wraps for support.

Rousseau also holds national records, and she deadlifted 127.5 kilograms wearing