Daniel McGauley, 36, from Highwoods, Colchester, secured his latest titles at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in Winnipeg, Canada, last month.
He won gold in both the bench press events and the full three-lift competition, which includes squat, bench, and deadlift, making him a double Commonwealth champion.
The victories add to Mr McGauley’s growing list of achievements, including a personal-best world championship win in Poland on May 31 at the 2026 IPF World Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships.
He also won gold at the European Open, Sub-Junior, Junior & Masters Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships in Lithuania on August 9.
His mother, Judith McGauley, said: “He’s really, really happy because these past few months he’s got all these gold medals.
“He got his gold in Poland and he got his European gold, and we said if he gets his gold in the Commonwealth, then he’s got a hat trick.
“It’s a long way to go and he’s done an awful lot of travelling.
“It’s all self-funded as well.”
This comes following a difficult and personal surgery Daniel had to overcome in February this year.
Daniel has faced serious health challenges throughout his life and was given just one year to live as a baby.
He has Down’s syndrome, autism and deafness in one ear.
He has undergone three major heart operations, 29 ear operations and was in wheelchair until he was eight.
At one point, he lost his sight and required an operation to restore his vision.
Mrs McGauley said: “He still lifted even though he was in a lot of pain before the surgery. He wouldn’t give up.
“He said the pain is gone now – he left it behind in the operating room in Ipswich.
“He’s enjoying lifting now that he’s pain-free.”
Daniel began his powerlifting journey in 2014 after he started going to the gym as part of an effort to improve his mobility and overall health.
He started on the treadmill to build up his strength, but he took a liking to weightlifting.
Throughout the years, he has won a series of championships and medals.
In 2015, he went to Vancouver, Canada to represent Great Britain in the Special Olympics and came away with four gold medals.
At the 2017 Special Olympics in South Africa, he won two gold medals and three silver medals.
In 2023, he won gold at the Equipped Open Powerlifting Championships in Denmark.
Later that year, he won gold at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in Auckland.
Daniel is taking a break from competition but continues training at the gym and could start qualifying for future events next year.
Mrs McGauley said: “I can’t see him giving it up.
“I mean, that’s his life at the moment.
“He’s a different person when he’s in the gym.
“He feels safe and he feels he’s the same as everybody else.”
