NYREE'S NOTEBOOK with Nyree Johnson
If you step outside of your world and take two steps to the left or right and really look around you, you’ll find talent and achievement throughout our region.
People do some incredible things as part of their everyday life, and although most of us will never truly know what it takes to achieve, outside of our own experiences and achievements, we can appreciate and celebrate the strength, courage and commitment to simply grab opportunities and run with them.
This week, I’d like to introduce you to a young man, Lochlan Horstman. I met this incredible boy when he was just three years old, and I’ve watched him grow and bring light, love and care to those who are privileged to know him.
A quiet achiever who’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Lochie is mature beyond his years and a true gentleman. He’s found what lights him up and outside of school commitments, spends his time training and competing in the sport of Powerlifting.
As a young child, Lochie always had a passion for weights because he wanted to be a Strongman and follow the path of Eddie Hall or Brian Shaw, two of the greatest names in the Strongman sport.
With great and inspirational men to look up to, when Lochie was officially allowed to train at his school gym, Heights College, he hooked straight in and trained hard. This only happened a little over a year ago when Lochie was 13, now 15.
My beautiful friend, Christie Horstman, and her husband, Richard Simpson, didn’t have experience with the sport and were worried Lochie was lifting weight far too heavy for his age. Enlisting the help of a personal trainer and lifting specialist, Joshua Johnston from Empowered Lifestyle and Coaching commenced working with Lochie. Comments and feedback were flowing through to Lochie’s parents and were all consistently saying he was the strongest 13-year-old anyone had seen.
Lochie now works with Shaun Housman from Scrutiny Strength and Conditioning, where he commenced competing in lifting competitions at his gym. Kicking goals and smashing records, his strength was indeed discovered and ready for the world to see. He joined the GPC (Global Powerlifting Committee) and started competing in national competitions where possible and while navigating border closures.
Lochie has smashed eight national records for his age (13 – 15 years) and weight class in just over a year.
On Sunday, 5 December, Lochie competed in his last Powerlifting competition for 2021 in Mackay, the GPC National Push / Pull, where he benched 140kg. This not only set a new national record but an unofficial world record. He then went on to deadlift 210kg, smashing another national record and to top it off, he won the gold medal for his weight class.
This young man is truly incredible! The determination and discipline he consistently demonstrates are inspiring.
With the borders open now, Lochie is hoping to go to more national competitions down south in 2022 so that he can compete with international referees, a qualifier required to get his world record officially recognised.
Lochie shares his thoughts and says recently, “The sport of Powerlifting has changed my life, and it’s getting more popular, so hopefully, it will be part of the Olympics one day so that I can compete in my home state. It’s a really great sport to get into, and I encourage people to have a go. I love going to the gym, and I love competing. I am very fortunate to be able to do what I love and have my parents support me. I am also working with a local company on producing my own brand of gym clothing LOCHEDONLIFTING, which is coming in 2022 and will be available through my Instagram page.”
Did someone say Brisbane 2032?
If you want to keep up to date on what is happening with Lochie, you can follow him on Instagram @lochedonlifting.
When inspirational people do incredible things, we all take notes and observe, learn and listen. It’s not very often have the opportunity to get onto a good thing before the rest of the world realises what we have in our backyard. Let’s support this young Rockhampton man with a bright future because this is just the beginning for him.
I love the movies coming out at the moment, telling stories about the great people in our world and our history. Stories that show the trials and triumphs of their journey to success. I recognise that they are overdramatised for entertainment purposes, but I do still enjoy the underlying story and message. One movie I’m very much looking forward to coming out in January is King Richard, the story of Serena and Venus Williams, Tennis superstars who forged an unfamiliar path to get to where they are today.
I wouldn’t call myself much of a sports follower aside from Supercars and Tae Kwon Do, my two loves. But I have an appreciation and deep respect for the strength, consistency, teamwork, determination, and discipline it takes to succeed in a chosen field. The family, community and friendship, which goes hand in hand with sport, sporting teams and coming together, is essential to me.
I’m not ashamed to say that I’ll turn up at a game or grand final barbecue, for example, not even knowing what sport or what teams we’re watching, because I’m just there to be with my friends and family. In saying this, I truly value our local sporting clubs and groups because of what they offer the community, which simply can’t be replicated in any other way: family, friendship and connection.
Incredible local people - Central Queensland Today - Central Queensland Today
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