Dakota Bessent, 18, from Hungerford, secured fourth place at the World Powerlifting Championships held in Sun City, South Africa, on August 21.
Representing Team GB, Dakota competed in the junior category and achieved a total lift of 575kg, despite weighing just 64.6kg.
He said: “To finish fourth in the world is something I’m incredibly proud of.
“When you consider the standard of competition and the athletes I was up against, it feels like a huge achievement.
“Representing Team GB on the world stage is an honour, and this result has given me even more motivation to keep improving and come back stronger.”
The former St John’s Marlborough student trains at MFPC Gym in Marlborough, balancing his training with full-time work.
He said: “Much of my training has been out of hours as I work full-time, and so being able to access competition-standard equipment at MFPC has been a big factor in my success.
“The support and training environment at MFPC have played a massive role in helping me reach this level.”
Dakota is already the British Sub-Junior champion and the 2025 British Junior Bench Press record holder.
He previously won gold at the 2024 Commonwealth Championships.
He said: “Standing on that platform wearing the Team GB kit is a moment I’ll never forget.
“Fourth place shows me that I can compete with the very best in the world, and it makes me excited about what could be possible over the next few years.”
Dakota also hopes his success will inspire other young athletes in the region.
He believes his journey highlights the potential of dedicated training and the opportunities available for those willing to commit.
