Despite being a Para-powerlifting newcomer, Hani Watson is bullish about her prospects of ending Australia's lengthy Commonwealth Games medal drought in the sport.
The 39-year-old Watson has been competing in Para-powerlifting for just 12 months but carries genuine medal hopes into the Birmingham Games starting late next month.
Australia haven't produced a Para-powerlifting Commonwealth Games medallist since 2006 in Melbourne when Darren Gardiner won bronze.
But women's heavyweight Watson, who will be joined on the Birmingham Para-powerlifting team by Ben Wright, hopes that will soon change.
The Queenslander set an Oceania record at the World Para-powerlifting Championships last October when she ranked eighth, lifting 120kg in the 86kg+ class.
"I have been competing for less than 12 months and to be ranked as high as I am in such a short time is the biggest highlight and pat on the back for me," she said.
"I just want to keep competing and lifting my ranking until the rest of the world knows that there's this female Aussie they should watch out for."
Watson will make her Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham, where her men's heavyweight teammate Wright will compete at his third Games.
Wright, a 35-year-old from Perth who is the Oceania record holder in two divisions, will become the second Australian after Leigh Skinner to compete in Para-powerlifting at three Commonwealth Games.
