Sault champion powerlifter looking for more medals

What started out as a way to spend time with her children is now a championship-winning effort for a Sault Ste. Marie woman.

Holly Lasante is back home in the Sault after winning the gold medal at the Canadian Powerlifting Union's National Championships in Richmond, B.C.

Not only did she add to her medal collection, but she also set some new Canadian powerlifting records.

"I squat 140 kilos, my deadlift was 169 kilos and my total was over 800 pounds," Lasante said.

"For me, it was good."

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And now, Lasante is getting ready for her next two competitions, which will take her far from her home gym in Sault Ste. Marie.

"I'm going to be competing at the North American championships in the Cayman Islands in August and then world's in Mongolia in October."

While Lasante lifts weights for competition, she said weight training is good for overall health, especially for older adults.

"The more muscle you can put on your body, the more stable you're going to be," she said.

"As we age, we want to make sure that we're going to be able to pick things up and run up and down the stairs and all that."

Lasante said she plans to keep competing as long as she's able.

"Until I'm too old to pick it up," she said with a laugh. "Until I just get too tired or whatever. But, right now, I'm having a lot of fun."