In 2018, Chris Pryor found himself upside down and trapped in a capsized kayak during a Cheltenham Round Table social, and a few weeks later, an MRI confirmed that he had a partially torn tendon.
“They put me up for physiotherapy,” Pryor says. “Going through that, I felt quite weak, and I just wanted to become stronger.”
At the start of 2019, he decided to join a beginner’s powerlifting course in Gloucester, and that’s where his sporting journey began.
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Powerlifting consists of three lifts: the squat, bench press and deadlifwitht, athletes aiming to achieve the highest combined total.
Following COVID and another injury on his wedding day, Pryor experienced multiple setbacks, which prevented him from competing.
“When COVID came, it closed all of the gyms and cancelled all of the competitions. I tried to carry on training, but there’s only so much you can do in your back garden!” he says.
In February 2024, Pryor decided it was time to return to the sport and called his coach, Ryan Edwards.
That same year, he finally stepped onto the platform for his first competition at Navalia in Gloucester, which led him to qualify for the England Masters after lifting a 582.5kg total.
“I had no expectations, I just wanted to see what I could do, and then I targeted the British Masters.
“I had another competition at Super Training Gym in Cheltenham, where I pushed my total up enough to be able to get to the British Masters.
“There were definitely a lot of people there (at the British Masters in 2025) who had done it for a lot longer than I had, but the fact that I had even got there in the first place was amazing.”
He secured an impressive sixth-place finish in his category before travelling to Southampton in March for another opportunity to qualify for the English Masters.
In May this year, Pryor secured first place and became the English Masters Champion.
“A week after my victory, the initial roster came out for the upcoming Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships, which I had applied to prior.
“I found out I was placed on the reserve list, which was disappointing at first. But a week later someone pulled out, and I got another email saying that I made the team.”
In September 2026, at 43 years old, Pryor will be flying out to Canada as an international athlete to represent his country in powerlifting.
“He’s very good about thinking about other people and not celebrating his own successes. It’s an amazing achievement!” says Rachael, his wife, who is one of his biggest supporters and will be flying out to watch him take the stage.
“To be picked for the squad when he’s only competed in six competitions is just insane,” she continues.
Pryor says: “I hope I can do very well and ultimately be able to say that I’ve competed for England. If I can win my category and help the team win, then that’s the icing on the cake. This will probably be one of the biggest things I’ve ever done.”
He is part of the Cheltenham Round Table, where he takes part in events, raises money, and gives back to the local community.
Ahead of his big trip to Winnipeg, Canada, he will be fundraising, training, and consuming a lot of coffee.
He has also set up his own website here, where he talks about his story and where people can donate and support him as an athlete.
