St David's Day: Michael Farmer Q&A

Michael Farmer is the second Welsh athlete to answer our questions to mark St David’s Day. Last year he won the BWL Annual Achievement Award for Best Young Lifter after securing Silver at the Commonwealth Junior Championships in Samoa. You can check out what he had to say below.

How is your training going at the moment with the current lockdown restrictions?   

 Training is back on track here in Wales, with elite sport allowed to train during this current lockdown. Feeling motivated being able to train with the top lifters in the country day in, day out, with the promise of lockdown being lifted and able to compete in person again.

 With all the uncertainty in the world, how are you managing to stay focussed and motivated?  

 I am staying focused on my long-term goal of qualifying for the Commonwealth games by having short term goals month by month to achieve. Having something more short term to focus on keeps me motivated day in day out.

 What are your thoughts on Birmingham 2022?   

 Birmingham 2022 is the closest thing to a home games I may come across in my career, so it is very exciting to be able to qualify for such a big event close to home. With the games so close to home I know everyone back home will want to watch, which is very motivating to keep on training in preparation.

 When competitions do resume, how do you plan on building upon on your previous international success in Samoa to hit the ground running again?  

 My last big international was in Samoa and I won my first ever international medal, before in person competitions had to stop. I am hoping that success continues when competitions resume and I can bring that experience of medalling at a high level back into domestic and international competitions.

When it comes to weightlifting who is your biggest inspiration? 

My biggest inspiration in Weightlifting is the rich history Wales has in light-middleweight weightlifters, David Morgan, Ray Williams and Gareth Evans. I hope to add myself to that list of lifters around the same bodyweight who all have medalled at a Commonwealth games.

And finally, what advice would you give to someone who was new to weightlifting and just starting out?     

My advice for someone new to weightlifting and starting out is to preserver though the peaks and troughs, not every day is going to be a PB day, but consistent training though many training cycles will bring results if you keep your head down and work hard. 

Be sure to check out our earlier Q&A with Michael’s Wales teammate Hannah Powell here