Hi from New Zealand

Hi everyone

I am a Pesco Vegetarian athlete that has drifted back to powerlifting after spending many years running half marathons, full marathons, ultramarathons, triathlon... and anything else 'endurance' you can think of. I own a health store as well as coaching a few Professional triathletes (have been a Personal Trainer/Coach for about 10yrs).

I hold 3 raw Canterbury powerlifting records and this year I hope to break the NZ raw deadlift record for my weight class (451lb). I pulled an easy 418 at my last meet back in December.

Feel free to contact me for anything at all, either through here or I am on YouTube as 'Kiwilifter'. I am also the Forum Leader of the Powerlifting/Strongman section of the Muscular Development forum. Thanks, look forward to getting to know some of you a lot better.

Kind regards, Kia Kaha MF.

Welcome! So great to have you here. I love reading your story about being an endurance athlete and distance runner and now record-setting powerlifter! That is an inspiring story and athletic transformation.

Well done! I wish you all the best in your upcoming competitions to set more records. Keep after it.

All the best and welcome aboard!

-Robert

Thanks Robert, great to hear from you!

You can see my transformations have been pretty drastic, these photos were taken about a year apart:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hK5MajvRppk/TJ0krI6U7-I/AAAAAAAAAKc/e9iVKU_s8Qg/s1600/Sri.jpg

2010: Marathoner/ultramarathoner

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/388984_10150381723528720_556433719_8376742_949609250_n.jpg

2011: Powerlifter

I am just another small piece of proof that vegetarians/vegans are definately NOT at a disadvantage to meat eaters.

If anybody wants to follow along on Twitter, you can find me here

https://twitter.com/#!/miniforklift

I'm about 5wks out from a push/pull meet so that's what I'm training for right now, then I have the Canterbury Champs mid April where hopefully I can qualify for the South Island Powerlifting Champs. My best raw total to date is 913lb (S 264/ B 231 / D 418) so am hoping I can get over the 1,000lb mark this year.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/381631_10150419423933720_556433719_8502214_564230901_n.jpg

I'll start up a training journal on here tomorrow when I have a little more time, feel free to drop in and say hi. Cheers MF.

Welcome to the VBB forum! Congratulations on your accomplishments!!

All the best,

Karen

Welcome to the VBB forum! Congratulations on your accomplishments!!

 

All the best,

Karen

Thanks Karen, just started up my journal today and have included all of my training from the last 6 weeks or so.

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=27555

Plenty of videos, photos and interesting stuff on there (hopefully) ?! Kia Kaha

Wow great before and after shots. Very reassuring and inspiring! Keep up the great work and welcome to the forum!

Wow great before and after shots. Very reassuring and inspiring! Keep up the great work and welcome to the forum!

Thanks, I feel as if I am already getting to know a few of you! Hopefully my postings can be a worthy contribution to this board, and I'm always open to ideas & suggestions

Thanks for the comment with my photos, I'm just trying to look half decent in my old age !!

I'm just trying to look half decent in my old age !!

Careful how you throw phrases like that around or one of us over-40-somethings will hold you down while one of us over-50-somethings kicks your fine young ass.

Baby Herc

Haha, I'm 35 this year so I'm not far off 40 myself !!

Haha, I'm 35 this year so I'm not far off 40 myself !!

I'm 42, so I'll be the one holding you down.

Baby Herc

Haha, I'm 35 this year so I'm not far off 40 myself !!

 

I'm 42, so I'll be the one holding you down.

 

Baby Herc

Hahaha, you win then !!!!!

Just in case any of you are wondering what I do for a living, well there's a few things actually. My main 'job' is I own a health store. I'm also a Personal Trainer of 10yrs (specialising in triathlon & powerlifting), and a sports journalist writing for both magazines and websites. Here's a couple of my magazine articles...

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v348/195/89/556433719/n556433719_915362_5709.jpg

Interview with Pro Triathlete Andrea Hewitt

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v348/195/89/556433719/n556433719_915361_5422.jpg

Coffee and its relationship to sports performance

Website articles...

http://www.pumpingfit.com/the-basics-of-powerlifting/

'The Basics Of Powerlifting'

http://1vigor.com/article/ultrarunning-hydration/

'Hydration is an Important Element of Ultrarunning and Endurance Racing'

Probably the interview I enjoyed doing the most was getting to hang out with four-time Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington. Just a really humble, amazing and funny woman

http://www.chrissiewellington.org/media-archive/ironwoman-extraordinaire/

(The PDF link to the full article is at the bottom of that page).

Dragged this interview over from another site, gives you a bit more insight

You recently experienced a mild heart attack. How did you feel at that exact moment? Did you know what was going on?

I can remember the exact moment I was running a half marathon race and running it with my brother in law. The time it happened we were running 4.20/km pace and I suddenly had problems keeping up with him. I felt a little light headed for about 20 or 30secs and I distinctly remember my shoulder aching quite badly. I tried to stay on his feet, I worked through it and finished in 12th place, 1hr36.

My aching shoulder hung around for the rest of the day, it was only when I picked up a bad gastric bug shortly after that the docs picked up the trauma to my heart. I was sent to a cardiologist and that's how I found out. At the time I didn't put things together, I just assumed I was running hard and had a bit of a bad patch. The aching shoulder I put down to maybe a slight muscle pull, also from running hard!

What do you do for a living?

Main source of income is I manage a health shop, I have been there for nearly 5yrs. I also train a few Professional Triathletes and write for a sports magazine and a health/longevity website, 1Vigor. Plan over the next few years is to build a 3 storey unit that we will rent out to businesses, hopefully giving us some passive income. I am going through the plans for that right now.

Do you miss running?

I miss certain aspects of it, like the crazy fitness you have and the 'runners high' you sometimes get. I don't miss coming back freezing after 4hrs in the rain, and I definately don't miss being skinny haha.

What is your background with sports?

Grew up playing soccer in School then got into running when I was about 16. Did a number of half marathons and other races before I went off to work on a cruise liner when I was 20. Got off 5yrs later and kind of fell into triathlon, then moved onto marathons and eventually ran a couple of ultramarathons. Did one powerlifting meet back in 2004 which I won, and at the start of 2011 I decided I wanted to get back into it. Have done 2 meets since then, won them both (best to date is a 913 raw total), and I am just getting warmed up for this year. Hoping to break the NZ raw deadlift record this year which is 451lb for the 130-145lb weight class. We'll see what happens.

Name some places you've traveled to (outside of New Zealand)?

I've done 4 x World Cruises from when I was working on the QE2 cruise liner, so I'm lucky enough to have experienced many amazing places. Highlights for me would probably be Thailand (party central), Dominica Republic (stunningly beautiful) and travelling through the Panama Canal. We worked as hard as we partied !!

Do you have any crazy stories about any Maori warriors?

They bury their food and cook it in the ground. The Haka is actually a reference to a womans' vagina, true!

Top 5 sexiest Ladies?

*In no particular order*

My wife

My wife's cousin

Lucy Lui

Sunny Leone

Kathleen from Hi-5 (Aussie kids show)

Interesting fact that people might not know about you?

I'm a vegetarian, has had only a positive influence on my sports.

Fan of the NFL?

Nope, I couldn't even name you one team.

What is the worst exercise ever?

Wrist curls or triceps kickbacks could probably go head-to-head on that one.

How did Lord of the Rings effect New Zealand?

Put us on the map and coachloads more tourists now!

How old is your wife and what does she do for a living?

She's 39 and she manages a hair salon.

What car do you drive?

Audi A3 (mine), Mazda Lantis (business) and Toyota Rav 4 (wife).

Dumbest thing you have ever done?

Too many to name. Probably getting drunk, getting lucky then getting annoyed because I had problems rolling on a condom. Realised in the morning that it wasn't a condom... it was a balloon.

Who is your "Go to guy" for information and why?

My Dad, he's a cool old dude. Quiet but wise.

How old are you?

34, but I feel no different to when I was 18.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? and 10 years?

5yrs, having more of a passive income and enjoying my family

10yrs, hopefully thinking about retirement !!

I'll be training in some capacity until the day I die, and my body will be truly beaten up. Training is an extension of who/what I am and I can't get enough of it, whatever sport I am doing.