Sport
12 October, 2026
Third place at first nationals
A YUNGABURRA powerlifter has placed third in the country after her very first Nationals appearance.
Linda Bonadio recently competed at the Australian Powerlifting League (APL) National Powerlifting Championships in Melbourne where she placed third in the Women’s Masters 75kg division.
Bonadio finished the competition with a 125kg squat, 62.5kg bench press and 150kg deadlift for a 337.5kg total, which was a 17.5kg competition PB for the Yungaburra athlete.
“My goal going into my first Nationals wasn’t entirely about the numbers on the bar,” the 46-year-old said.
“Of course I wanted to lift well. I’d worked really hard throughout the prep but more than anything I wanted to be completely present in my body, trust myself, honour the strength I’d been building and genuinely enjoy the experience. And that’s exactly what I did.
“I even managed to sneak in my signature bits of dancing between lifts – it helps me redirect nervous energy and channel it creatively through my body.
“I’m incredibly proud of placing third but I’m probably equally proud of how I experienced the day. I walked away knowing I’d achieved exactly what I’d gone there to do.”
A highlight for Bonadio was just soaking up the atmosphere, saying it was “pretty surreal” to finish third in the country for her division.
“The funniest part is that I actually had absolutely no idea I’d placed third,” she laughed.
“I’d finished lifting, had an amazing day, and left before the presentations. My poor coach had to collect my medal for me the following day.”
Bonadio had originally been competing as a natural bodybuilder since 2015 and only moved into powerlifting to improve her technique in the squat, bench press, and deadlift.
“Several years later I achieved my Pro Card in the Figure category with ICN, which is a natural, drug-tested federation. That was an amazing achievement for me and I met some great people through the sport,” she said.
“I eventually took a break from traditional weight training and started exploring a different training method called functional patterns. So I started specifically training for my first powerlifting competition in March last year and competed for the first time four months later – and I was hooked.”
Bonadio said she hoped her achievement could inspire other women.
“One of the things I love most about strength training is what it teaches you about yourself. I’m 46 and I’m literally stronger now than I’ve ever been in my life. I think that’s pretty bloody cool,” she said.
“And I think particularly for women, as we get older, there’s something really empowering about discovering just how strong and capable our bodies still are.
“I’d love to help more women discover what their bodies are capable of and how empowering it can feel to become stronger, not just physically, but mentally too.”
Bonadio carries out her training at Furious Fitness and Six Degrees Gym in Atherton, as well as Zerow in Cairns once a week to train with coach Wes Vick. She will now look ahead to her next competition at the Townsville Clash on 7 November.
“I want to have another crack while I’m feeling good and just send it. This time I’d really like to see what numbers I’m capable of putting on the platform.”
