Hill powers to British title

JOSH Hill has overcome the burden of having a famous father by taking up power lifting – and he has just won his first British title.

The 21-year-old Bristol University medical student, son of Bristol Rugby Club’s head coach Richard Hill, won the 2008 British junior crown by shouldering a whopping 835kg total over three lifts – the equivalent of an adult male giraffe.

Josh chose a different path to his father after flirting with rugby early in his sporting life. A dislocated shoulder at the age of 15 required surgical reconstruction and forced him out of contact sport for two years, effectively ending any rugby aspirations, but his rehab led him into weightlifting.

He said: “The reason why I didn’t pursue rugby, although my shoulder is better now, is because, having had that time off, I realised I was never really going to be international level or a good club level player. I’m naturally quite competitive so I wouldn’t pursue something if I knew I wasn’t going to be good at it.

“As for power lifting, I started training at the Empire Gym in Bristol and found I was good at it.”

His competitiveness could spur him on to great things in the power-lifting world. Despite lifting a total of 835kg over the three disciplines of bench press, deadlift and squat to claim his first British title at Bournemouth, Josh wasn’t entirely happy with his performance.

He said: “In truth, whilst I did quite well, an 835kg total isn’t fantastic in comparison with what other country’s juniors can do.

“But I have another two years in the juniors so this year is more just a tester to see how I compare and see what I work I need to do.

“The aim is to eventually get to a 1,000kg total.”

Josh trains between three and five times a week with last year’s senior British Champion Craig Coombes and won the junior 100kg class and best overall junior on a power-to-weight ratio as well with a 320kg squat, a 220kg bench press and a 295kg dead lift.

"I hoped to lift more but it just didn’t happen on the day. I’m aiming for a 900kg total with a 350kg squat, 240kg bench and 310kg dead lift,” added Josh, who is training hard for the World Junior Championships in Florida in November.

He admits his dad, a former England scrum-half, was sceptical when he turned to power lifting but added: “I think he quite enjoyed coming to watch me at the British Championships. I could probably bench press him twice over so I think I have the upper hand now.”