For Maharashtra’s Priyanka Parekh, the road to an international gold medal was built not only inside a gym but also around work, financial constraints, long training sessions and the determination to keep pursuing a sporting dream. The Malad-based powerlifter recently won gold for India in the Junior Women’s 47 kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Women’s Equipped Powerlifting Championships in Winnipeg, Canada. She lifted a combined 347.5kg across the squat, bench press and deadlift to finish on top in her first international competition. Sharing a video after her competition, Priyanka said, “Hi guys, this is Priyanka. Just a quick and last update, guys. I’m done with the Commonwealth 2026 Games of powerlifting, and guess what, guys, I won three gold, 1 silver and 1 participation medal. Finally, it is gold for India, guys. I love you all, who supported me in my lowest.” Behind that celebration was a journey that began only recently but progressed remarkably quickly.
From a fitness routine to a powerlifting dream
30 Sept 2026 | 13:34
If a young woman in the audience remembers only one thing from your conversation today, what would you want her to remember?
Priyanka had always been interested in sports. In an interview before the Commonwealth championship, she recalled participating in cricket, football and running events at school and winning prizes, although she had not initially imagined sport as a career. Her entry into powerlifting came in 2024, when she was preparing for her BCom and interior designing examinations. The two exams happened to fall on the same date, forcing her to drop one of them. With some time available, she began going to the gym to focus on fitness. That is where she discovered a fascination with heavy lifting. She eventually began training seriously and reportedly spent around four hours a day in the gym. Her progress soon took her from local competitions to the national level.In April 2026, she won gold at the Maharashtra State Classic Powerlifting Championship in Sangli with a 292.5 kg total. She followed that with strong performances in Mumbai and at national competitions. At the Maharashtra State Equipped Championship in May, she recorded a 342.5kg total, including a 140kg squat, 75kg bench press and 127.5kg deadlift. Her performances continued at the national equipped competition in Telangana in June, where she won silver in squat and gold in bench press, finishing with a 342.5 kg total and securing her selection for the Commonwealth championship.
Balancing training, work and the cost of competing
Getting to the international stage required more than physical preparation. Priyanka also worked at Decathlon while continuing her training. She described her routine as disciplined, with training, diet, hydration, recovery and sleep all requiring attention alongside her job. “My routine is disciplined. I have been able to balance training and my job at Decathlon,” she said in an interview reported by Gujarati Mid-day. The financial side of competitive sport was another challenge. Priyanka comes from a middle-class family, and international competition involves expenses that can be difficult for athletes to manage without outside support. After her victory, she acknowledged the contribution of supporters who helped make her international participation possible. She said that reaching the international level in sport would not have been possible for a middle-class family without financial assistance and credited members of the Kapol Sports Group and Greeksoft Technologies Private Limited for significant support.Her equipped powerlifting competition also came with its own demands. Unlike classic powerlifting, equipped events use specialised supportive gear. Priyanka explained that the equipment was one of the biggest challenges she had to learn to handle. “Initially, learning to use the equipment was the biggest challenge. It requires a lot of patience, practice and technique,” she said. She also had to manage with limited equipment because of financial constraints. According to her post-competition account, she had only two of the three specialised suits required for the three lifts and adapted her squat suit for the deadlift.
A gold medal and a new target
At the Commonwealth championship in Canada, Priyanka faced another Indian competitor in the 47 kg category and eventually finished with the gold after lifting 347.5 kg. Her performance made her an international gold medallist at just 23. The moment was emotional for the young athlete. “When my name was announced as the winner in Canada, I became emotional,” she later said, describing the achievement as a dream come true. Her return to Mumbai was met with a celebratory welcome from family, friends, members of her community and former teachers and classmates. A victory procession was also organised in Malad, with around 300 people reportedly joining the celebration.But Priyanka is already looking ahead. Her next target is the All India University Tournament scheduled for January 2027 in Kerala, after which she plans to resume preparations following a short break. From discovering powerlifting at a gym to working at Decathlon, competing at national championships and finally standing on an international podium, Priyanka’s journey shows how sporting dreams can take shape even when an athlete has to build a career and fund that dream at the same time. Her gold in Canada may be the biggest achievement of her young career so far, but for Priyanka, it appears to be only the beginning.
