August 26, 2026 – Defence Stories
Estimated read time – 2:03
Caption
Cpl Lucas Tabone performs a squat at the World Powerlifting Championships, held in Coventry, England in 2023.
Photo supplied by Cpl Lucas Tabone.
Competing at the World Powerlifting Championships is no small achievement. Held in October 2023 in Coventry, England, the event brought together more than 100 international athletes. Among them stood Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member Corporal (Cpl) Lucas Tabone.
He got down to business and then up: he squatted 215 kg, bench pressed 137.5 kg, and deadlifted 227.5 kg. Lifting an astonishing total of 580 kg, he secured first place in his category.
However, winning is far from a few numbers.
Competition
Powerlifting is a strength sport consisting of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. Athletes are grouped by gender, weight, and age.
The competition begins with each athlete selecting an opening number: the initial weight they plan to lift for each exercise. After successfully completing their first attempt, the athletes inform the judges of the weight they wish to attempt next. The winner is determined by the highest combined total of successfully lifted weight across all three exercises.
Grueling preparation
What the competition’s spectators didn’t see was Cpl Tabone’s grueling preparation leading up to this event.
“It’s as simple as waking up and sleeping at a certain time, to counting every calorie,” the member at 22 Canadian Forces Health Services Centre Cold Lake explained. “I trained for 16 weeks, pushing my body to the maximum, and ate 4000 calories a day.”
Cpl Tabone also had to reduce his food consumption during the two weeks before the competition to stay within his weight category.
“That was almost the worst time of my life. I only ate 1,500 calories a day and did cardio every morning for about three and a half hours,” he said.
CAF support
Thankfully, Cpl Tabone was not alone. He had financial help and training support.
Thanks to his outstanding performance and dedication, Cpl Tabone was able to have the cost of his trip covered by the CAF. While athletes typically pay out-of-pocket for international competitions like this one, he discovered through Personal Support Program staff that he was eligible for a sponsorship.
The CAF also contributed to his preparation, through physical training, physiotherapy, and clinician services.
Cpl Tabone explained that the personal trainers in Canadian Forces Base Wainwright always asked him how he was doing. They offered help when he needed a spot during weightlifting sessions and advice on how to tweak his workout program.
To him, powerlifting is more than just results. It’s a test of discipline.
“I trained for 16 weeks. I was weightlifting for two to three hours every day. I trained my body six days a week. I cut food to almost a minimum while adding in more training,” he said.
“And I did that because I disciplined myself to do this. It shows that you truly can do something if you put yourself to it.”
