Just give it a go

Our Year 10 students currently undertaking their Certificate III in Fitness had a visit from special guest speaker, Katrina Robertson, earlier this term. Katrina’s story is nothing short of inspiring and her ‘give it a go’ attitude truly remarkable.

Katrina is an experienced Psychologist, mentor, and advocate for women’s sport who at the age of 37 became the World Super Heavyweight Powerlifting Champion after doctors had advised her almost 20 years earlier that she would never play sport again.

As a teenager Katrina’s heart was set on representing Australia at the 1982 Commonwealth Games, however a near fatal motorbike accident shattered her dreams. After two years of multiple surgeries and learning to walk again, Katrina went against the advice of pursuing a sedentary career and began nursing training, later furthering her career with a degree and honours in Psychology.

In 1994, the World Masters Games in Brisbane reignited Katrina’s sporting flame, which led her to take the first steps to regaining her fitness and strength. Following her success at World Masters, Katrina went on to start Powerlifting, training in a gym next to a cane paddock under the guidance as her 70-year-old father as her coach.

Over the next five years, Katrina broke 31 Australian, 12 Oceania, 18 Commonwealth and 7 World Records, and at the age of 37, won the World Super Heavyweight Powerlifting title, being coined by the media as the ‘Strongest Woman in the World’ at the time. All this, after being told she would never play sport again.

After hearing her incredible story, our Certificate III in Fitness students were full of questions for Katrina, sparking conversations of mental health and resilience, as well as motivation and performing as an elite athlete, learning to love yourself and living life to the fullest.