REACHING the top of the podium on the world stage takes a relentless approach over time, but West Belfast woman Carla McCaw did it in double-quick time as she claimed gold at the IKMF World Championship Kettlebell in Leuze, Belgium at the weekend.
Representing Team Ireland, Carla competed in the pentathlon, an event which contains five disciplines: Clean, Long cycle press (clean and press), Jerk, Half snatch, and Strict Push press.
Each discipline is carried out for six minutes with the objective of reaching a set amount of reps and is weight dependent, meaning the heavier the weight, the greater the number of points accrued.
Taking on competition from all over Europe, USA, Canada, South Korea, India and Australia, it was a case of going up against the best of the best and the mother of two came out on top.
This was all the more remarkable considering she was only introduced to kettlebells last year by another world champion, Gareth Molloy at No Limits Fitness on Kennedy Way, where she had been training.
"It was from him introducing kettlebells to us that ignited the fire," Carla explained.
"Last year, I set a goal to qualify for the Irish team, compete in the World Championships and try to get gold.
"I don't do things by halves, so if I set a goal, I try my utmost to get it, but it's taken a lot over the past year. I always trained four times per week anyway, but now it's very specified.
"Gareth did my programme and controlled everything, so he got me where I am today."
It required discipline and sacrifice to reach those goals and with the support of her children and husband, Paul, Carla went to Belgium and conquered the world.
Fully processing that achievement will take time but it is a reward for the work she has put in to identify and goal and then execute the plan.
"My husband, Paul has stood by me and been there every step of the way," she stressed.
"He's my biggest cheerleader, drives me to the competitions and came over to Belgium, so it's a lot for him as well as he has to put up with me and the amount of training I have to do. There are things you miss out on because you're training so hard, but you have to put in the work to reap the rewards.
"Coming away as the winner, it still hasn't quite sunk in. I've reached a goal but the magnitude of being a world champion... My cousin wrote me a message, saying 'That's you in the history books' and I was just thinking it hadn't dawned on me that my name is there forever."
Her name will indeed be in the books, but that doesn't mean the journey is over.
Becoming a world champion is great, but retaining the title would be better again, so next year's World Championships in Hungary are already on the radar.
"I'll take a break and then in the new year, it will be into the programme to get ready for the Worlds next year because I have to prove to myself I didn't just wing it," Carla outlined.
"I have to go and retain my World Championship title, so come January and February it will be training harder, lifting heavier weights and making sure I can retain that title."
