Ryley Porter is one of six Queenslanders in the AWF Super Squad, a program developed by the Australian Weightlifting Federation to provide support and guidance to those lifters who are identified as having a strong potential to win Gold Medals at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Ryley was catapulted to the world stage after qualifying for the 2015 Commonwealth Championships as a junior, after competing only twice in Olympic weightlifting!
Training out of Crossfit Torian under the watchful eye of coach and dual Olympian Damon Kelly, Ryley now holds both Qld and AWF records and the number one spot in the country in the 81kg class.
My lifting journey started back in 2013 when I was 18 at Wiser1 Crossfit in Ipswich, where in the world of crossfit I developed the basic movement patterns. I had a great coach in Alex Felagai who saw potential in a young kid, and took me and some other athletes down to Cougars Weightlifting Club to get in front of coach Miles Wydall.
Miles introduced me to the sport of weightlifting and had me enter a few local competitions before I was blessed enough to make the Australian national team as a junior. I’ve been hooked on the sport ever since and have trained Olympic weightlifting for the last 6 years alongside my crossfit sports.
What does being a part of the AWF Super Squad mean to you?
Making the AWF Super Squad has been an awesome experience. The AWF Super Squad consists of athletes who have achieved an A grade total in competition. This entitles you to some athlete assistance and performance bonuses which were a God send during the whole COVID-19 pandemic. I feel very privileged to be able to be a part of a group of such superstar lifters.
Tell us about your life outside the gym?
I like to try and experience a lot of different things outside of the gym. I’m currently studying chiropractics which keeps me busy while balancing working and training. In my down time I’ve started learning Spanish and latin dancing, which is definitely something new to me!
What have been your weightlifting highlights to date?
One of my favourite highlights was my trip to India as a junior for the 2015 Commonwealth Championships. It was a brilliant trip where I met a lot of great athletes and coaches. I also can’t go past the 2020 Australian Open in Canberra back in February, when I won gold and achieved A grade with a 304kg total (81kg class). It was just a great experience which made my parents extra proud, which means a lot as my whole life they’ve instilled in me a passion for health and fitness.
What advice would you have for lifters wanting to reach an elite level?
Be patient and consistent, whilst always refining and improving your movement patterns. In terms of patience, developing strength is like cooking a roast, you can’t just crank the temp and expect it to cook faster! Consistency is king, it’s not about having the perfect program, rather just showing up and executing on the day of training ahead of you.
I put a lot of my success down to moving with efficient positions. I don’t have a massive strength background, but I get the most out of the strength that I do have and use speed to my advantage.
Lastly, eating to fuel your body right with the proper nutrition makes a world of difference. If you’re like me and not the best in that department, go see a professional sports dietitian, they are game changers.
For more information on the Australian Weightlifting Federation’s High Performance Plan for 2021/22, click here.
*Hero image credit: The Weightlifting Platform
