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The 2025 Saskatchewan Powerlifting Association (SPA) Provincial Championships brought approximately 70 athletes to the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds Convention Centre for three days of competition, with provincial and national records already falling.
Rhaea Stinn, a reigning world champion in multiple categories whose most recent successes were at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, said the event exceeded expectations in its first session.
"We're happy with how it all came together. We've had one session so far and some fabulous lifting," said Stinn. "We've already had some provincial records set and there's definitely a couple of national record attempts I anticipate this afternoon and tomorrow."
Powerlifting is one of the most low-barrier strength sports. Competition always feature athletes across virtually every age category, including masters divisions for competitors over 40 and 50 years old.
Emmanuel Archambault, who started powerlifting during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and now serves on the SPA board, emphasized the comprehensive involvement many athletes maintain in the sport.
"I really like to be involved with the sport in all aspects — being an athlete, on the board, volunteering, all those things," she explained. "I'm not competing this weekend, but I am volunteering, and tonight we have our Annual General Meeting, so I'll have plenty to do with that, as well."
Theresa Dmyterko competed in the three-lift competition — squat, bench press, and deadlift — as a masters 2 athlete over age 50, despite recovering from a recent calf muscle injury.
"I just came off of tearing my calf muscle. So, this one won't be a great competition, but it'll be some more experience on the platform," Dmyterko said between warm-up sets. "I'm ready, I'm warm, so this will be a fun couple of days."
The sport relies heavily on volunteer support from within the powerlifting community. Milayna Goruick of Regina, who has been powerlifting for about 10 years, served as a spotter and loader during the competition.
"It's a great way to give back to the sport. This is a very volunteer-driven sport in general. It just doesn't happen without us," Goruick said. She was anticipating a relatively tough day — loaders often end up accumulating more weight lifted than the competitors do as the weights continually come on and off the bar over many sessions.
The Saskatchewan Powerlifting Association also requires volunteer participation for eligibility to compete at higher-level meets, creating a culture of community involvement.
"There's an expectation, I think, to give back with volunteering as well," Goruick said.
Moose Jaw is a regional centre for the sport, with provincial and national competition frequently hosted at the Exhibition Grounds.