\n Daniel McGauley, 36, from Highwoods, Colchester, secured his latest titles at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in Winnipeg, Canada, last month.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n \n The victories add to Mr McGauley\u2019s 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.\n<\/p>\n \n \n He also won gold at the European Open, Sub-Junior, Junior & Masters Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships in Lithuania on August 9.\n<\/p>\n \n \n His mother, Judith McGauley, said: “He’s really, really happy because these past few months he’s got all these gold medals.\n<\/p>\n \n “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.\n<\/p>\n \n “It’s a long way to go and he’s done an awful lot of travelling.\n<\/p>\n \n “It’s all self-funded as well.”\n<\/p>\n \n This comes following a difficult and personal surgery Daniel had to overcome in February this year.\n<\/p>\n \n Daniel has faced serious health challenges throughout his life and was given just one year to live as a baby.\n<\/p>\n \n He has Down’s syndrome, autism and deafness in one ear.\n<\/p>\n \n He has undergone three major heart operations, 29 ear operations and was in wheelchair until he was eight.\n<\/p>\n \n At one point, he lost his sight and required an operation to restore his vision.\n<\/p>\n \n Mrs McGauley said: “He still lifted even though he was in a lot of pain before the surgery. He wouldn\u2019t give up.\n<\/p>\n \n “He said the pain is gone now \u2013 he left it behind in the operating room in Ipswich.\n<\/p>\n \n “He\u2019s enjoying lifting now that he\u2019s pain-free.”\n<\/p>\n \n 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.\n<\/p>\n \n He started on the treadmill to build up his strength, but he took a liking to weightlifting.\n<\/p>\n \n Throughout the years, he has won a series of championships and medals.\n<\/p>\n \n In 2015, he went to Vancouver, Canada to represent Great Britain in the Special Olympics and came away with four gold medals.\n<\/p>\n \n At the 2017 Special Olympics in South Africa, he won two gold medals and three silver medals<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n In 2023, he won gold at the Equipped Open Powerlifting Championships in Denmark.\n<\/p>\nMedals: Daniel won gold in both the bench press events and the full three-lift competition, which includes squat, bench, and deadlift, earning him two Commonwealth titles. (Image: Judith McGauley)<\/em><\/span>\n<\/p>\n
Daniel in Poland (Image: Judith McGauley)<\/em><\/span>\n<\/p>\n
Daniel in Lithuania (Image: Judith McGauley)<\/em><\/span>\n<\/p>\n