A MOTHER who took up weightlifiting 18 months as part of a fitness regime is now eyeing up a world title.

Gurdeep De-Meis lifted twice her weight to scoop the most points in her weight class at the British Powerlifiting Championships.

It is the second time the 37-year-old has hoisted the title – having spent most of her life unaware of her powerful talent.

Mother-of-two Mrs De-Mais, a member of the British Drug Free Powerlifting Association, is trained by her husband Dean, 41, in a purpose-built gym at the couple’s home in Banbury.

After the birth of her daughter Rahni, now seven, Mrs De-Meis, who is 5ft tall and weighs 52.5 kilos, decided to get back into shape and took up athletics.

She trained with Radley Athletics Club and, as part of sprint training, she lifted weights to strengthen muscles and found she really enjoyed it.

Soon she progressed to powerlifting and has not looked back.

Mrs De-Mais, who also has a son Luca, 11, said: “Last February I travelled to Folkstone to take part in a qualifier for the British championships.

“I went to the competition which was held in an Army barracks and it was full of big burly powerlifting blokes and me.

“It was nerve-racking, but they were all cheering me on.”

She got through to the finals and just a few months later won her weight class, 50.5 kilos, in the national championship in Coventry.

On April 11, the former fitness instructor, who gave up work to concentrate on her training, repeated her achievement in the 53 kilo weight class.

She said: “I’m really proud of my achievement and have put in so much effort in.

“I train twice a day, six days a week and have a strict high-protein diet regime.”

Mr De-Meis said his wife, who is a member of Oxford University powerlifting club, at Iffley Road, continually pushed her body to its limit and was constantly researching training, nutrition and recovery.

He said: “She has improved so much, so quickly, which has really surprised me. She’s so easy to coach, because she’s so dedicated.”

In the gym Mr De-Meis is there to motivate his wife, encouraging her to lift heavy weights, also for safety and to keep an eye on technique.

He said: “I think Gurdeep is really going to do something special with it all. I reckon she’s going to break world records.

“Because of her outstanding performance, she will be selected for the GB team for the European Championship, in France, in June, and the World Powerlifting Championships in Ireland, in November.”