She missed her goal.
Barely.
Competing at the 2025 World Bench Press Classic and Equipped Championships in Draamen, Norway, Vernon's Teresa Gilman had hoped to finish third in her division in her first World Championship event.
Gilman was entered in the Master 2 76 kilos category, and was hoping for a top-three result after having lifted 80 kilos at her home gym, World Health and Fitness in Vernon.
Gilman, who only took up power lifting just shy of two years ago, placed fifth with a bench press of 70 kilos, only 10 kilos out of that third-place goal.
To get to Norway, Gilman had to win regional, provincial, Western Canadian, Canadian, and North American titles to earn a spot on Team Canada.
Same for fellow World Health and Fitness gym rat Marc Vezina, a veteran power lifter who has been to the World finals before, including 2024 in Austin, TX.
Vezina was competing for Canada in Norway in the Master 3 Category, 83 kilos for Classic Bench, where he finished 12th overall with a classic bench press of 100 kilos.
For the equipped bench press, Vezina was seventh overall with a press of 120 kilos, missing his last attempt at 135 kgs.
Vezina's pre-tournament goals were reached against a field of high-level competitors from the U.S., Scandinavia, and 80 other countries.
