A 16-year-old has become the UK’s strongest schoolgirl – and says her success is thanks to a joint condition that used to cause her agonising pain. Laresce Browne, from Eccles, Manchester, has six British and World Champion powerlifting records under her belt - yet until just two years ago a condition called hypermobility left her in so much pain she was unable to take part in sport. Rather than let her condition limit her life, Laresce took inspiration from her weight-lifting father, Adam, 39, and began pumping iron. This put an end to her pain and she became champion in her field. She now holds a UK record for deadlifting more than twice her own bodyweight after lifting 105kg. She can also bench press her own bodyweight of 50kg (7st 12lbs). From birth, Laresce’s toes and knees grew inward and doctors diagnosed her with metatarsus varus, commonly known as pigeon toe. The condition means her feet turned inwards. It usually corrects itself by the age of eight or nine and does not require treatment. They also said she had hypermobility, which meant her joints had a greater range of movement than usual. The condition can cause severe joint pain and lead to dislocations. Laresce’s trainer Tania George, 43, says this is the secret to her success - she has more flexibility in her back than most people which means her technique in forming an arch in her spine leaves the competition behind. ‘Most powerlifters would kill to be able to form an action-arch like Laresce,’ said Ms George. ‘Because she has perfected the technique of bending her back strongly and safely she has the leverage to lift incredibly heavy weights.’ Despite these her conditions, Laresce loves to dance and between the ages of four and eleven she was a keen Morris dancer. As her body began to change from the ages of 11 to 14, the 5ft 2ins tall pupil began to face daily pain in her knees, elbows and hands from her hypermobility that left her unable to sleep for whole nights at a time. She was forced to miss several days of school each month due to pain and the lack of sleep this caused. Eventually she was told by doctors she could not take part in any sports lessons for eight months. After nearly dislocating her hip, Laresce was also forced to give up Morris dancing. ‘I used to suffer a lot of pain from my hypermobility,’ she said. ‘When I was eleven I remember coming home from school with pains in my knees, joints and hips. ‘It would stop me doing normal things like taking part in sports at school. ‘The pain would be so much that some nights I wouldn’t sleep at all and I just couldn’t face going to school like that. ‘After almost dislocating my hip I had to do six months of physiotherapy to recover.’ However, since taking up the sport of powerlifting 18 months ago she is now effectively cured. To cement her success, Laresce must train for eight hours a week. ‘I become involved when I started going down to see my Dad weight lift at the gym,’ she said. ‘I really enjoyed the feeling of power I got and the excitement of people encouraging me to do my very best. ‘I find it fun to take part in - you have to be a bit aggressive when lifting which I think surprises people when it comes from me. ‘I’ve made lots of friends and it an incredible feeling when everyone’s cheering me on. It’s the support of other people that makes the difference to winning. ‘Becoming a champion was a big surprise - I just started off for fun and I wasn’t expecting anything. So to win six titles over just a few months was amazing.’ Lascesce says her friends were surprised to learn she had taken up a fiercely competitive sport normally associated with fully-grown men. But she admitted some were a little jealous of her new found fame and popularity in her chosen field. Her trainer, Ms George, said: ‘Laresce’s position as Britain’s strongest powerlifter for her age and weight is down to her spirit and determination. ‘She started visiting the gym just to hang out with her dad from the age of nine. ‘One day when she was about 14 she just asked to have a go and under supervision we allowed her to try it. ‘After this, Lascene started to join in with our women’s strength classes. ‘Even though she is alongside women three times her age with greater experience and well above her weight category, she is head and shoulders above the rest. ‘This success is due to her hypermobility, a condition which she had to work incredibly hard to master. ‘The bottom line is Laresce is a lovely and beautiful teenager who has unlocked a hidden potential no-one could have guessed at.’ Laresce’s father explained how he feels about being the father of such a high-achieving teen. ‘I couldn’t be more proud of my little girl,’ he said. ‘She’s truly the apple of my eye and has worked so hard to be where she is today. ‘No-one has handed her anything on a plate - it’s only through hours of hard practice most muscle-bound men would shy away from that my Laresce was able to be a winner. ‘She’s made us all so very happy and I feel we all enjoy a bright future together thanks to her.’ Source
God bless you dear Laresce Browne.Enjoy the life and don't forget to do your regular exercises shown by your physiotherapist. Achieve more success and happiness.
