Bessacarr weightlifter Fraer Morrow has Commonwealth Games medal in her sights

Weightlifter Fraer Morrow is confident she can challenge for a medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Fraer MorrowFraer Morrow
Fraer Morrow

The 19-year-old, from Bessacarr, is one of the youngest members of Team England’s 18-strong weightlifting squad and still qualifies for junior competitions.

Down Under, on April 6, she will take to the stage alongside some of the sport’s best senior athletes.

Fraer MorrowFraer Morrow
Fraer Morrow
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But the former Armthorpe Academy pupil is undaunted by that prospect and says a medal finish is within reach.

“I don’t see why I can’t challenge,” said Morrow, who will compete in the 53kg weight class.

“Training is going well and if everything goes to plan I could have a good chance.

“My total at the minute is 164kg. Going out there I’m hoping for about 170kg.

Fraer MorrowFraer Morrow
Fraer Morrow
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“The top athletes are around 190kg but 170kg would put me in the battle for third or fourth place.”

Morrow, now based at Loughborough University and studying Sport and Exercise Science, only took up the sport in 2015.

It did not take long for her to catch the eye of Great Britain’s coaching team, and she is now mentored by former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Giles Greenwood.

“I’m showing lots of progression so instead of just staying at one weight my weights keep increasing with every competition that I do,” said Morrow.

“I’ve been doing it for about three years now.

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“I had my first international in 2016 which was the European Juniors, and then after that my next international was the World Juniors in Tokyo.

“I had the European Juniors again in November last year and in December I competed in the World Seniors in California. That was my first senior event.”

A British and English champion, Morrow revealed she took up weightlifting at Danum Crossfit after deciding to try and lose some weight.

“When I was about 15 I was really chubby so I started looking up what I could do,” she said. “That’s how I got into the Crossfit.

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“When I started the Crossfit I realised that I could actually lift weights but I wasn’t so good at the cardio side of things.

“I entered a weightlifting competition and luckily one of the Great Britain scouts was there and they wanted me to come and have a session in Loughborough with the coach I’m with now. It all started from there.”

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