On August 22, 2022, powerlifter Ashley Contorno (75KG) shared an Instagram clip of herself completing a 237.2-kilogram (523-pound) mat pull during a training session. Within the caption of her post, Contorno asserted that the feat of strength is a latest personal record (PR) for her “worst deadlift variation.”

For a latest PR, the lift didn’t seem difficult for Contorno, who pulled the loaded barbell off two thin mats with relative ease and erupted with joy when her lockout was successful. The athlete wore a lifting belt and used a mixed grip to assist her notch the brand new deadlift PR. 

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In keeping with Open Powerlifting, Contorno’s all-time competition best raw deadlift is 237.5 kilograms (523.6-pound). She achieved that pull on the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) The Bucked Up Showdown. Contorno’s recent Instagram caption asserted confidence in a 540-pound deadlift the subsequent time she’s on a platform.

After winning the 2022 WRPF Ghost Clash within the 75-kilogram division in February, recent months have seen Contorno stay busy together with her overall training as an alternative of formal competition. The athlete normally shares updates on her progress with similar clips of accomplishments within the gym. For instance, Contorno captured a latest raw back squat PR of 233.6 kilograms (515 kilos) in mid-August 2022. A couple of days before her back squat PR, Contorno accomplished a 137.4-kilogram (303-pound) squat with an extra 80 kilos of chains attached to the barbell. 

The 33-year-old Contorno isn’t latest to the competitive powerlifting scene, having been involved in some capability since January 2016. So far, she has participated in 15 contests, placing on the rostrum 11 times while winning on eight occasions. 

Here’s an outline of a few of Contorno’s more notable results:

Ashley Contorno | Notable Profession Results

• 2016 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Arizona State Powerlifting Championships (Raw) — First place | First profession victory
• 2017 USPA Drug Tested California State Powerlifting Championships (Raw) — Second place
• 2019 Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF) Super Training Classic — First place (Unlimited); Second place (Raw)
• 2019 USPA San Diego Fit Expo (Raw) — First place 
• 2020 USPA Rise of the Valkyrie (Raw) — First place
• 2021 WRPF The Bucked Up Showdown (Raw) — Second place
• 2022 WRPF The Ghost Clash (Raw) — First place

Note: Contorno has competed raw in all but three instances throughout her profession. 

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Contorno’s Plans

On the time of this text’s publication, Contorno has not announced when she’ll appear on a sanctioned lifting platform again. Even when the athlete isn’t competing in the intervening time, she appears to be staying busy together with her small business, the South Bay Strength Company — a powerlifting gym she co-owns together with her husband Steven in Harbor City, CA. The 2022 WRPF South Bay Strength Company Boo Bash can be held at their gym on October 29, 2022.

As well as, per her LinkedIn profile, Contorno is an authorized medical skilled specializing in physical therapy. With that type of health and strength background, it’d only be a matter of time before Contorno starts making a few of her recent training PRs official. 

Featured image: @veggie_lifter on Instagram