On Aug. 16, 2022, powerlifter Serena Abweh shared a video of herself on her Instagram page completing a raw deadlift of 161 kilograms (355 kilos) during a training session. It’s a private record (PR) that surpasses her all-time competition best within the 48-kilogram class on the 2021 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Recent Mexico State Championships by 8.5 kilograms (18.8 kilos).
The deadlift can be 3.4 times Abweh’s competition body weight. She used a sumo stance, mixed grip, and donned a lifting belt to capture her latest deadlift PR. Given the casualness of her pull, it could be fair to assume that Abweh had more within the tank. You possibly can try footage of the strength feat via her Instagram profile below:
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Abweh is in her early 20s but has already amassed a powerful competitive resume in her approximate four-year profession. As primarily a Juniors competitor, Abweh has won six of seven profession contests.
Abweh’s lone non-first-place finish was a fifth-overall lead to the Juniors 47-kilogram division throughout the 2020 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Powerlifting Championships. Here’s a rundown of Abweh’s complete resume to this point:
Serena Abweh | Competition Resume (Juniors)
- 2018 USPA APEMAN Classic Powerlifting Championships — First place
- 2018 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Southwest Regional Championships — First place
- 2018 USAPL Raw Nationals — First place
- 2019 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships — Fifth place
- 2019 USAPL Raw Nationals — First place
- 2020 USAPL Collegiate Cup and Texas Open — First place
- 2021 USPA Recent Mexico State Championships — First place
Here’s an summary of Abweh’s all-time competition bests on each of the benchmark lifts in powerlifting:
Serena Abweh* | All-Time Competition Bests
- Squat — 100 kilograms (220.4 kilos)
- Bench Press — 67.5 kilograms (148.8 kilos)
- Deadlift — 152.5 kilograms (336.2 kilos)
- Total — 310 kilograms (683.4 kilos)
*Note: The American athlete has only ever competed raw.
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Abweh’s Future Outlook
The 2021 USPA Recent Mexico State Championships was the last time Abweh competed on a sanctioned lifting platform. On the time of this text’s publication, the athlete has not disclosed when she is going to feature in a contest again. Prior to now, she’s typically participated in two competitions per yr, with only 2022 up to now being an outlier.
In January 2022, the USA Powerlifting organization reinstated the Women’s 44-kilogram and 48-kilogram divisions while moving past the 47-kilogram category. If Abweh competes internationally, particularly in any IPF contest, she is going to have the choice to remain at 47 kilograms.
Featured image: @rena_serenaa on Instagram