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Ali Goldsworthy, Senior Research Associate at the Intellectual Forum, recently won gold at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships.
Known for her work on polarisation and influencing, Ali reflects on why she started lifting, the surprising connections between strength and democracy, and the role of Jesus College in supporting her growth.
What does this achievement mean to you, and what has the journey to this point involved?
It’s incredibly satisfying – if a little surprising.
I started taking fitness seriously in my mid-thirties, after spending a little too long practicing bicep curls by lifting wine glasses. During pregnancy I developed pre-eclampsia, a condition that can become life-threatening. Usually it clears up, but my blood pressure remained a serious problem. With a lot of help from professionals, we have found a combination of medication, diet and exercise that keeps me here. The medals are great, but being strong, healthy, and able to spend time with my family is the real win.
You have worked in politics, campaigning, and as a lecturer while also competing at an elite level in powerlifting. How do you balance these different worlds?
By making some trade-offs – you can’t do all the things, all the time. I didn’t have a full-time job while my health stabilised. I also have a supportive husband, the resources to have a gym at home, and fantastic childcare support.
Even then, it’s still hard. On those days, my mantra is that something is better than nothing. I’ve found it helps to build habits slowly over time, find exercise that brings you satisfaction and joy, and have a good community of people to share it with.
Are there lessons from powerlifting that have informed your work on depolarisation and democratic dialogue?
Absolutely. Polarisation is such a multifaceted and interdisciplinary issue; there are always lessons to learn. At the moment, I’m investigating in the role that strength sports can play in either bridging divides or exacerbating them.
There is growing evidence that extremists are leveraging strength culture as a recruiting ground. But at the same time, gyms are increasingly important third spaces where people meet and build relationships.
What role has Jesus College played in supporting your interests, both intellectual and athletic?
Jesus College is always a great place to meet people and have your boundaries pushed. That’s particularly true of the Intellectual Forum, whose interdisciplinary approach creates lots of opportunities for ideas to develop in unexpected ways. There are spin offs too; this week I did two events that grew out of the EdX course we did with Jesus College. Audiences always seem to listen to me more closely after finding out that I can deadlift 177.5kg.
In addition to my normal gym, I made use of the Jesus College gym for Commonwealth training. What struck me was how people worked together, with good humour, to establish what equipment was needed and how to support each other. That’s very typical of strength culture. I’m always thrilled to see women in particular realise they have a place in the weight room. It’s an essential place for their health.
Next year, maybe I’ll try and host a reading group where we discuss strength culture in between sets. It would be great to hear from people who want to join.
To learn more about Ali Goldsworthy’s work, contact the IF.
