Last year was one of the most challenging but rewarding 12 months in terms of my powerlifting career – winning a bronze medal for Team GB at the World Cup in March and then picking up silver at the World Para Powerlifting Championships in November was something beyond my wildest dreams!

The trip to Tbilisi in Georgia to compete in the World Para Powerlifting Championships was an incredible experience. Both the lead-up and the competition itself made me want to push myself even further and get to experience those big opportunities like the Paralympics and Commonwealth Games.

My preparation was key in the weeks leading up to the World Para Powerlifting Championships. I had to make sure I got my recovery spot-on and ensure that I had nothing to distract me from preparing for the competition. I did have coursework deadlines due during the week of the Championships, but Leeds Trinity University was extremely supportive and flexible, meaning that I could go into the competition completely focused on achieving the best I could.

Going into the day of the competition on Saturday 27 November, I was glad that I had prepared well and put all my focus into the sport. It would be easy to get distracted by being in a different country with new people, but I was determined to succeed and I kept my eyes focused firmly on my goal.

It was the first competition I had ever done where I was competing twice in a week, which meant a lot of physical exertion with only one day’s rest in between. I had to make sure that my body was in the best condition it could be – that it could take the extra pressure it was about to come under.

I think I dealt well with that pressure and came out lifting maximal weights on both days. Not only does that show how well my body can perform, but it shows that I got the correct amount of rest and recovery during the day of rest that I had, something I’ve learned about at University.

When I won the medal, it was an incredible feeling which still doesn’t feel real to this day. It has to be up there with one of my favourite moments from the trip, that and getting back to the hotel to see and hear my teammates cheering me up the stairs in the lobby. It’s a memory I will never forget, and I still feel fortunate to have such amazing teammates and friends.

It will forever be a trip that changed me, I feel that my confidence and independence grew out there as well as my motivation towards the sport. The trip has made me determined to work harder than ever so that I can go on to compete in different countries across the world and have more amazing opportunities like this one.

Charlotte McGuinness is an undergraduate Sport and Exercise Sciences student at Leeds Trinity University. Find out more about our Sport and Exercise Sciences course on the Leeds Trinity website.