Mike Smith (left) and best friend Alex Simays
Waipā has had great success on the powerlifting and bodybuilding stage in the last few months.
Mike Smith (second from right) dressed as a Ragnarök Viking. Photo: Paul McSweeney
The New Zealand team is at the GPC (Global Powerlifting Committee) world championships in Brazil.
Trainstation gym owner Mike Smith, Chara Reti, Tracey Karam and Xavier Karam are representing Te Awamutu on the world stage, as are Hamilton’s Cat and Jared Seeney who have Waipā connections.
Following on from a successful Te Awamutu-hosted GPC national championships in August, Smith has continued competing and learning.
On September 20 he competed in the bodybuilding arena at the Pan Pacific Ragnarök Pro/Am in Auckland.
“I competed at the WFFNZ Pro Am in the pro division, just five weeks after the nationals as a personal challenge to complete both disciplines this close together,” Smith said.
“I was invited to compete in a legends category. It was something new with four well-known male and four females, dressed up as part of the theme – Ragnarök Vikings.
“It was a non-competitive category, but quietly I wondered if I should do the pro show as well.
“I came second to Australasian bodybuilding legend, and my best friend, Alex Simays.”
Three weeks out from the event, Smith had said to Simays, ‘I’ll compete, if you compete’.
“He’s not a current pro, and we placed one and two in the pro show. It was special. We’ve been on stage together once before, eight years ago. That was the last time he was on stage. The last time I competed was 2023,” Smith said.
“To experience it together was better than any result. That’s started a fire again. We’re both committed to competing overseas as pros next year, in either Malaysia or Japan in October.”
Smith said as you get older there are more learnings to take away from preparation.
“Even though we’ve done more than 40 shows each, you’re always coming from a different position and learning something new.”
Cambridge’s Justin Read, trained by Smith, placed fourth in the highly contested masters’ division.
“Quite often, masters’ have been competing for 10 or 15 years and have got a really good reputation. They’ve been around the block. Good, hardened athletes. So, that was amazing for Justin,” Smith said.
“He backed it up a week later, competing in a different federation NABBA, in Cambridge at the nationals.
“He picked up a first in his height, weight category and a second in masters.”
Sean Henry, also from Cambridge and a previous Trainstation member, won his pro card in the board short division.
“Sean has been chasing his pro card for about five years so it’s a true case of hard work always winning,” Smith said.
“I’m very proud of him.”
Smith then competed two weeks later in an Auckland-based deadlift contest.
“Then two weeks after that is the world powerlifting champs in Brazil. An insane eight or nine weeks,” Smith said.
“The deadlift contest in Auckland, which I ran and competed in. I’ve done this contest four years running. I’ve been third on four occasions. This time, I picked up my best result and came second.
“I got a triple body weight deadlift and my heaviest for 2.5 years and a New Zealand record. I blew my own expectation away and it set me up really well for Brazil.”
Smith said it’s been a tightrope balance between eating enough to lift, while also cutting to body build.
“It doesn’t make sense but that’s why I like to do it. I like to disprove theories,” he said.
Mike Smith (left) and best friend Alex Simays placed second and first respectively at the Pan Pacific Ragnarök Pro/Am in Auckland. Photo: Paul McSweeney
