Congratulations are in order for our GRAZIA Game Changer from August 2023 Farhanna Farid! Last December, at the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, the 31-year-old broke her own world records twice in her weight class, the Under-52kg Open Category.
Her previous heaviest deadlift and the standing world record at the time came in at 203kg, from the June 2023 World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships in Malta. But at the recent meet in Malaysia, Farhanna broke the world record she had previously set by lifting 203.5kg and 208kg respectively on her first and second attempts. Prior to the competition in December, Farhanna had been training with restraint, deadlifting a maximum of 190kg, as she was nursing a months-long back injury and a pesky knee issue.
While smashing through world records is no easy feat, this is the eighth time that Farhanna has broken this record in the last 1.5 years. In an interview with The Straits Times, Farhanna spoke about how increasing expectations from others and herself add to the challenge of rewriting her own world records. She added, “The older I get, the more I push my body because there’s a limit. Finding a balance between pushing myself and holding back is something that I’m still learning. I’m in it for the long term. I always say I want my grandkids to watch me compete so I have to pace yet push myself.”
When we spoke to Farhanna last year for our August issue, she discussed what it means to be a Game Changer, and what she hopes to see more of in the sport of powerlifting. In just six months, she has already surpassed her old records and pushed herself to greater heights through her personal and athletic achievements. While the accolades are remarkable, it is Farhanna’s vivid display of her (quite literal) strength, courage and resilience—qualities that she personally exemplifies through her ongoing pursuit of greatness through powerlifting—that serve as inspiration. She’s changing the game for women in powerlifting, and it’s safe to say, she’s far from being done.