Adam Alderman - case study

My sport is Disability Powerlifting. This is the term used for what is actually the Bench Press element of Powerlifting. It is a Paralympic sport and is now open to both male and female competitors.

My disability is achondroplasia, commonly known as dwarfism. I have short arms and legs relative to the size of my body. There are also other inherent problems such as a strong tendency to experience spinal stenosis at some time in your life. I have already had a laminoplasty/laminectomy operation on my five lower vertebrae at the age of 15 for this condition which, if left untreated, could have resulted in paralysis from the waist down.

My interest in sport came about when I joined the Dwarf Athletic Association UK (DAAUK). They hold an annual Dwarf Games, usually on May Bank Holiday, and I took part in most track and field events against other competitors of a similar age and size. One year Powerlifting was introduced and I had a go. I was only 13 at the time and was horrified to find that the Olympic bar itself weighed 20kgs. Could I lift it? Well yes, I did, and went on to record a lift of 27.5 kg. After another couple of years competing at the DAAUK annual games, and setting new World and British (dwarf) records I decided that I could be quite good at Powerlifting if I was prepared to put in some serious training.

I was given much help and support initially by a former GB coach, Roy Garner, who drew up training schedules for me, supervised by my father. I started to become competitive in my lifting and was spotted by Donna Charlton-O’Malley the BWLA Performance Co-ordinator. An invitation to join the GB team for an event against France in January 2005 followed. Fortunately I came 1st in my bodyweight class of 48kg. with a lift of 95kg.

Around this time I was encouraged by Donna to apply for a TASS award to further my ambition to continue with the GB team and represent Great Britain in all the major competitions, particularly with the intention of being amongst the world’s best by the 2012 London Paralympics.

I think I have been extremely lucky to have been granted a TASS 2012 award for the last two years. Without the financial assistance, in particular, I could not have achieved my successes to date. My award has covered the travel and living costs for competitions and training camps in Portugal; Busan, South Korea, and Macau. On top of that are the extensive travelling costs to and from training venues, coaching costs, equipment and medical insurance. Altogether a package I would not be able to fund.

My major competitions so far have produced the following results:

January 2005 - French Open Benchpress 1st - 95kg
June 2005 - UK National Championship - 2nd - 107.5kg
November 2005 - IPC European Powerlifting Championships
3rd Junior (7th Overall) 105kg
May 2006 - IPC World Powerlifting Championships
3rd Junior (11th Overall) 112.5kg
June 2006 - UK National Powerlifting Championships
1st 105kg
(A disappointing lift as I was suffering from a prolonged spell of Hayfever)
January 2007 - UK Open Benchpress Championship - 1st - 115kg

I am no longer a Junior so realise it will be a slow, steady climb to achieve placings in international competitions. My main target is to medal in 2010, but along the way I should be growing in strength both mentally and physically. I have another 5 years in which to mature and I am sure I can do it. I really hope I continue to receive support from TASS and all those individuals who have helped me so far. Particularly my coaches.

For my part I continue to train regularly at a local gym 3 evenings one week and 4 the next. I meet up with the GB National Coach in Birmingham each month for a one-to-one training session, and every 5 weeks or so I attend a weekend squad training session at Stoke Mandeville. My coach also has to keep me on the straight and narrow with regard to my food intake. My bodyweight class is 48kg so I must not exceed that. It will become increasingly more difficult to maintain that as I put on muscle, but it will have to be done.

This makes for an extremely busy life for me as I work fulltime as a cartridge assembler for an international medical diagnostic equipment manufacturer. I also have my own flat where I live with my partner. We have a baby daughter,Rebecca, who also has achondroplasia. She’s lovely and I want her to be proud of me when she is old enough to see her daddy win medals.

My next competition is on 2nd June. This is the British Championship to be held at Stoke Mandeville. Then the very next day I fly off to Kavala in Greece with the GB team to compete in the European Powerlifting Championships.This will be my first international competition since leaving the Juniors (under 23’s) so I will aim to be in the top 6.

Following on from that will be training as usual and, maybe, another competition later in the year in Kuala Lumpur.

Phew, I feel tired thinking about it!

So, thank you TASS, without your support none of this would be possible.

Adam Alderman
(dob 16th May 1983)