menu
search
person
Champion powerlifter Karenjeet Kaur Bains (UK) lives by the motto "You are stronger than you think you are!"
This 26-year-old athlete holds the title for most times to squat lift own body weight in one minute (female).
She broke the previous record with a whopping 42 reps.
Breaking the record feels "incredible" she says, and hopes the next generation will feel "inspired to know that their dreams really can come true if they put their mind to it - they can achieve anything".
"I am extremely proud to be the holder of a Guinness World Records title. To say I have made a mark in history by not only being the First British Sikh Female to represent Great Britain in Powerlifting, but to also be an official world record holder is an incredible feeling!" – Karenjeet
She is a successful female in a notoriously male-dominated sport, but also the first British Sikh female to represent Great Britain in powerlifting.
Before she began her career in strengths sports, Karenjeet competed in athletics for about 10 years, winning many contests in Warwickshire.
She also built a reputation as the fastest girl in her school.
"The boys didn't want to race me at school and I used to win the 100m by 40m clear," she recalls.
Coming from a family of athletes, with her mum descending from a champion wrestling family and recently dominating in athletics, Karenjeet took up powerlifting at 17.
She knew it would mean entering a male-dominated world, but she has smashed all stereotypes and demonstrated that a positive attitude, training and passion can ensure you achieve your goals.
Karenjeet's family are a huge part of her journey, supporting her with love and remaining heavily involved in her sports career.
From her very first approach to athletics, her dad, a former powerlifter and bodybuilder, became her coach.
He taught her everything she knows, and the winning father-daughter partnership continued once Karenjeet tried her hand at powerlifting.
He taught her the basics of squat, bench and deadlift techniques, and within months of having never lifted a weight, she entered her first competition and won.
"It felt like my calling, and I've never looked back since," she says.
Today, Karenjeet is a five-time British Champion and five-time All England Champion. Other highlights of her career include:
Alongside her career in powerlifting, Karenjeet also works as a charity accountant. Juggling long hours at work and relentless training regime is challenging, but she powered through.
“If you want anything in life, it’s never easy,” she says.
As she revealed during an interview that took place at the GWR office in London, her sports category is not funded by sponsors, therefore she needed a day job to financially sustain a career in competitive powerlifting.
However, her sports career is her priority, and that’s what makes her most happy.
Karenjeet’s training den holds a special place in her heart, and it’s very different from what you might imagine!
Her family set up a gym in her garden, and she trains there with her father – who also built a lot of her dumbbells and machinery.
"The dumbbells, if you look closely, are made up of cogs and gears, and the machines have been specifically tailor-made to suit me.
"There is a lot of history in that gym where all the family has trained, and the gym walls are decorated with inspiration – cut outs of an old-school classic Bodybuilding magazine (Muscle and Fitness magazine) and pictures of myself and Dad in action!
"That shows that you don’t need anything fancy to get to be one of the best in the world, just sheer hard work, determination and the will to be the best!"
Her religion accompanied Karenjeet in her highs and motivated her to stand up when she was feeling low.
"As Sikhs, we are supposed to be known as the 'Warrior race' serving to protect the innocent, and stand up for injustice and this is the same mindset I channel when I compete.
"Often you see me let out a warrior battle cry just before my deadlift (you may have seen pictures of me roaring) and I channel this mindset of going out to the battlefield or the arena towards my lifting!"
Find her in the Guinness World Records 2023 book, out now!
Karenjeet is a true powerhouse.
A Guinness World Records title is only the most recent, but surely not the last, accolade collected by this incredible athlete.
"Breaking this record has given me a buzz to set even more records so watch this space because there are many more to come!"