On Aug. 16, 2022, powerlifter Serena Abweh shared a video of herself on her Instagram page completing a raw deadlift of 161 kilograms (355 pounds) during a training session. It’s a personal record (PR) that surpasses her all-time competition best in the 48-kilogram class at the 2021 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) New Mexico State Championships by 8.5 kilograms (18.8 pounds).
The deadlift is also 3.4 times Abweh’s competition body weight. She used a sumo stance, mixed grip, and donned a lifting belt to capture her new deadlift PR. Given the casualness of her pull, it might be fair to assume that Abweh had more in the tank. You can check out footage of the strength feat via her Instagram profile below:
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Abweh is in her early 20s but has already amassed an impressive competitive resume in her approximate four-year career. As primarily a Juniors competitor, Abweh has won six of seven career contests.
Abweh’s lone non-first-place finish was a fifth-overall result in the Juniors 47-kilogram division during the 2020 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Powerlifting Championships. Here’s a rundown of Abweh’s complete resume to date:
Serena Abweh | Competition Resume (Juniors)
- 2018 USPA APEMAN Classic Powerlifting Championships — First place
- 2018 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Southwest Regional Championships — First place
- 2018 USAPL Raw Nationals — First place
- 2019 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships — Fifth place
- 2019 USAPL Raw Nationals — First place
- 2020 USAPL Collegiate Cup and Texas Open — First place
- 2021 USPA New Mexico State Championships — First place
Here’s an overview of Abweh’s all-time competition bests on each of the benchmark lifts in powerlifting:
Serena Abweh* | All-Time Competition Bests
- Squat — 100 kilograms (220.4 pounds)
- Bench Press — 67.5 kilograms (148.8 pounds)
- Deadlift — 152.5 kilograms (336.2 pounds)
- Total — 310 kilograms (683.4 pounds)
*Note: The American athlete has only ever competed raw.
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Abweh’s Future Outlook
The 2021 USPA New Mexico State Championships was the last time Abweh competed on a sanctioned lifting platform. At the time of this article’s publication, the athlete has not disclosed when she will feature in a contest again. In the past, she’s typically participated in two competitions per year, with only 2022 thus far being an outlier.
In January 2022, the USA Powerlifting organization reinstated the Women’s 44-kilogram and 48-kilogram divisions while moving past the 47-kilogram category. If Abweh competes internationally, particularly in any IPF contest, she will have the option to stay at 47 kilograms.
Featured image: @rena_serenaa on Instagram