Josh Hutton: The athlete who skated into Weightlifting success.

The roar of the rink has been replaced by the solitude of the platform - but for Josh Hutton, the competitive spirit remains exactly the same.

Josh first laced up his skates at age nine with his local club, Whitley Bay. Fast forward to today, and he’s not only still playing university-level Ice Hockey for Northumbria but also dominating a completely different sport: Olympic weightlifting.

What began as off-ice strength training to boost his Ice Hockey performance soon became a passion in its own right. Within a few short years, Josh’s drive and hard work propelled him to the top of the national stage. He’s now an eight-time British record holder across four age groups and two weight categories, English Age Group champion, a silver medallist at the British Senior Championships, and seen the BUCS podium 3 times.

This year, Josh represented England at the IWF World Championships - his first international competition - marking a huge milestone in his rapid rise through the ranks.

Josh is part of a growing group of athletes who’ve transitioned from other sports to weightlifting success - joining names like Zoe Smith, Chris Murray, Fraer Morrow, Jess Gordon Brown, and Emily Campbell. Josh’s story shows how transferable skills, discipline, and passion can open new doors and take you to the international stage.

We caught up with him to find out how he made the leap from ice to iron, and what he’s learned along the way.

1. What sport were you involved in before weightlifting?

Before weightlifting, I played Ice Hockey, I started playing Ice Hockey in 2013 when I was 9 years old at a junior level for my local club, Whitley Bay. I went on to play for the Northern regional team in 2022 when I was 18 in the National showcase tournament and I now currently play at university level for Northumbria.

2. How did you get into weightlifting?

I got into weightlifting through personal training and strength and conditioning with my coach Steve Sharp, My mam wanted me to do some form of Off-ice training to benefit my Ice hockey and I started with Steve doing general S&C and fitness which incorporated the Olympic lifts and I slowly started to enjoy it and from there we worked towards my first comp in 2016.

3. How did you find the transition from ice hockey?

The transition from Ice Hockey to Weightlifting was that it’s still really competitive but in a totally different way, going from a team sport to an individual sport there was some carry over but it was a whole new experience, and it was a good change of pace which helped to keep things fun.

4. What has been your favourite weightlifting moment so far?

Snatching 148kg for a u23 94kg British record at the IWF World championships in Førde, Norway this year, it was an amazing place with a great atmosphere, and it was my first international competition too!

5. What advice would you have for anyone wanting to try weightlifting?

Be patient and trust in the process, it’s a lot of trial and error and it does take time, I’ve met some of my best friends and I’ve been to amazing places through weightlifting and it’s a great sport and community to be involved in.

Transfer YOUR talent.

From the ice rink to the world stage, Josh’s journey proves that sporting success can take unexpected turns - and that the skills you build in one arena can launch you to greatness in another.

If, like Josh, you’ve got a background in another sport and the drive to discover something new, British Weight Lifting’s talent programmes could be your next step.

British Weight Lifting (BWL) runs two talent programmes to discover and support young athletes with the potential to become future international medallists.

We’re running a Talent Testing Day in January 2026 - the perfect opportunity to see where your strength could take you.

Read more about it here.