This Girl Can (Louise Sugden)

Do grit, family and Beyoncé create a winning formula? They do in Louise Sugden’s world …

You could say Louise Sugden’s Tokyo Paralympics training was something of a family effort. Even her gran got involved, donating an electric heater to warm up the garage Louise relocated to in order to continue her training regime after gyms closed.

Despite the physical and mental obstacles created by the pandemic, Louise, has never lost sight of her vision for the Paralympics – and the hard graft needed to realise ambitions of a medal at the delayed 2021 games.

But then, years of practice in resilience and overcoming setbacks have stood Louise in good stead for getting through a challenging few years. As she puts it: “Throughout my life, it’s never been a case of ‘I can’t do that’, it’s always been ‘how can I?’”

And this girl can! Formerly a wheelchair basketball player, Louise made her Paralympic debut at Beijing 2008 before competing at London 2012. Illness put paid to a third appearance with the basketball squad, but her official retirement from basketball in 2017 opened another door – and a pathway back to competing internationally.

Describing herself as one of the more physical players on the wheelchair basketball team – and among the top in strength testing – powerlifting seemed a natural move. But with the emphasis away from cardio and onto strength building and the shift from a team to individual sport, it proved a drastic change. “I don’t think I appreciated how difficult it was going to be until I was competing, and it was just me,” she says. “I got my first lift, and I can’t tell you how I did it because I was shaking so much.”

‘I never had to deal with the trauma of becoming injured. It was always just what it was’

Despite the nerves, Louise quickly became used to the solo status, making an impressive impact in a staggeringly short time. By April 2018 – nine months after starting out in the sport – a 103kg lift earned her a Commonwealth silver medal, closely followed by a European Championship crown for a 108kg lift a month later. Beyoncé helped. The singer’s music always provides the soundtrack for competition time.

As Louise’s prominence in the sport continues to rise, so too do the expectations. Now ranked fourth in the world in her weight class, she has worked hard to earn her place at the Paralympics, where the medal zone sits at about 130kg.

She secured silver for her 128kg lift at the Para Powerlifting World Cup in Manchester earlier in the year while simultaneously smashing the British record she’d previously set at the competition. She then scooped gold at the Para Powerlifting World Cup in Tbilisi, Georgia, in May.

So yes, this girl really can. And as she’ll tell you, stubbornness played a part. Louise was nine months old when she was injured in a car accident. “I never had to deal with the trauma of becoming injured. It was always just what it was,” Louise explains. “Even as a youngster, if anyone told me I couldn’t do something, I set out to prove them wrong. I was always fiercely independent, stubborn and determined. I remember being told I couldn’t play woodwind instruments because my lung capacity wouldn’t be good while seated. I managed to achieve a Grade 6 on flute.”

From mastering instruments to lifting eye-wateringly heavy weights, the focus may be different now, but the narrative running through Louise’s ambition is consistently one of always doubling the effort, obliterating the boundaries and defying expectations.

These characteristics are evidenced in Louise’s impressive medal haul over the years, but they only tell part of the story. She credits the ever-supportive family and friends behind her with the phenomenal positioning she found herself in ahead of Tokyo.

‘If you want to do something, you’ll find a way to do it’

“I’ve always been lucky with the people I have around me. My parents have always been supportive and encouraging. When I showed an interest in wheelchair basketball at 13, they drove me around the country for training and competitions. Now my mum supports me while I bench press,” says Louise. “When I was older and out with friends, if there were stairs in a pub, my friends would say, we’ll carry you in your chair. Their mentality helped so much with my own. It’s a mindset thing. If you want to do something, you’ll find a way to do it.”

Back in 2021, Louise celebrated her fourth “lift-a-versary” – that’s four years since she lifted for the first time, managing 77kg, which, at the time, was more than her body weight. As women in the sport compete well into their 50s, there’s no telling how many more anniversaries Louise will mark in her meteoric rise. For now, though, she’s just enjoying the journey. And, of course, Beyoncé.

At the delayed 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo Louise realised her dream and won a brilliant para-powerlifting bronze in the women’s up to 86kg category, securing her first Paralympic medal with her final lift. Since Tokyo Louise has represented Great Britain at competitions across the world, overcome injury and is now ready to go in Paris.

Louise delivered a strong performance in the Women’s up to 79kg category at the 2024 Para Powerlifting World Cup in Tbilisi, Georgia. She successfully lifted 124kg, 126kg, and 128kg, achieving a 5kg personal best in this class. Louise finished in 4th place and now stands 7th in the Paris rankings. It was a great effort from Louise and we will be cheering her on all the way to Paris where she will be competing alongside Liam McGarry and the British Weightlifting team.

Last week was the final qualifier for the Paris and it couldn’t have gone any better. A competition where I got better every lift and now I’m top 8 in the Paris rankings.

Photos: @ParalympicsGB

Story first published in FORWARD Autumn 2021 (Updated: August 2024)

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This story appeared in past issue of our magazine FORWARD. The only magazine dedicated to the spinal cord injury community. With fascinating and thought-provoking lifestyle features and the latest news and research, the high-quality publication covers topics such as health, daily living, employment, relationships and family, sport and travel. 

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