Burnside powerlifter Reon Juskowiak says he’ll give it his all to win a Commonwealth Championship medal in New Zealand – just three years after taking up the sport.
The 41-year-old PE teacher will represent the Scottish Powerlifting Federation at the event, which runs from November 28 to December 4 in Auckland.
Former junior football player Juskowiak – who includes Shotts, Tayport and Kilbirnie Ladeside amongst former clubs – will head out a week early to ensure that he’s not beset by jet lag or any other issues relating to the lengthy flight.
It’s a remarkable success story for Juskowiak, who took up the sport during lockdown and already has a British title and two Scottish records to his name.
Juskowiak, a teacher at Hamilton’s St John Ogilvie High, said: “I would be absolutely delighted with a medal. My coach, Mark Fulton, has just been to the World Championships in Canada and came home with a gold medal for deadlifting, but finished fourth overall.
“I’ve already spoken to him about my goal, which is to try and podium, to try and get first, second or third. It will be challenging, but just competing is just crazy anyway, and to come home with any medal would be brilliant.”
Reon added: “I’m delighted to have qualified. I’ve only been powerlifting for a few years, so it has all progressed pretty quickly.
“I hold two Scottish records in squat and I have won a regional Westerns competition last October. I won a British Championship as well, so it has been ticking along.
“My main goal when I first started was that I would like to be a British champion, so we ticked that box.
“I qualified in June in Ireland at a British Championships and I had to put my qualifying total in and got selected on the back of that, so it was good news.
“It’s exciting, but nerve-wracking, because I’ve never flown that far before and I’ve never suffered from jet lag before. “
Juskowiak says powerlifting is so different from football that it took a while for him to adjust.
He said: “I played semi-professional football for about 20 years and retired in 2019 – probably the best time because Covid hit right after it.
“I took up powerlifting in the second half of 2019, so just three years, really.
“Being in a team sport for years, you can come across people who are not very supportive in different ways, but ever since I’ve stepped into this sport, everybody has been so helpful and can’t give you enough advice, so it has been great.
“In football you’re responsible for more than yourself, and now the sole focus is myself. That has taken a lot to get used to. I’ve done some mental mind-set training, because when I’m getting ready to compete there’s no one there to support me, it’s just me.”
Juskowiak says his competitive nature means he doesn’t let his pupils get away with anything, and would like to return with silverware to thank those who have helped him to get to New Zealand.
He said: “I played junior football for years and I’m a PE teacher, but none of my pupils beat me at anything!
“When I go away to New Zealand I’ll definitely give it my all to try and come back with something.
“This is a massive trip and I have had to fund it all myself, or through sponsors. Many local businesses have helped me, like Nurture One, Drumsagard FC 2010s, Aqualiance Ltd and Pro LP Consulting.”
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