Another year is drawing to a close and I wanted to get in touch to wish all of our members all the best for the Holiday season. The QWA has faced some challenges this year, but through it all the spirit of friendly competition has shone bright and we’ve seen some great things happen on lifting platforms across the state.
During the middle of the year I communicated that the financial position of the QWA needed attention to ensure that our organisation could continue to act as the steward of our great sport. I’m happy to report that the actions that we took at the time have given us confidence that we can continue to grow and develop the sport into the future.
The support that the Committee received from our members in making these decisions and changes was very much appreciated. We understand that no one likes to see their costs increase, but the changes were necessary to allow the sport to continue to grow.
On the competition front, we’ve seen great performances from Queensland lifters on platforms ranging from local Club competitions all the way to the International arena. Queensland teams and individuals performed strongly across the entire spectrum and showed the results of their hard training and dedication.
In local events, the Queensland Club Series had a great year with an increase from 491 competitors in 2024 to a whopping 615 competitors in 2025. Congratulations are due to Cougars Weightlifting Club for winning the Club Series this year, and to all of the individual class winners as well.
We welcomed new clubs to the QWA family, with AKWL joining us on the Gold Coast, and Kinetic Barbell Club becoming established in Townsville. We look forward to further growth and improvement in the Club series next year, and in the years to come. We’ve got a full calendar of lifting events across the state for 2026 and we’re looking forward to supporting all of our members and clubs.
Looking forward, we’ve had an enthusiastic committee working on setting up the QWA Awards night, which will be happening in Brisbane on January 17th next year. Make sure you get your tickets – it’s going to be a great night.
We’re also hosting a Planning Day on January 17th. This is an exciting initiative to encourage feedback and participation from all of our members. I invite all of the members of the QWA to come along to have your say in the future of the sport. If you can’t make it on the day we’re happy for people to make written submissions for inclusion in the process. We’ll have an agenda published shortly, but we’re happy to hear people’s thoughts on any subject related to the sport.
Finally, thank you to everyone involved in Weightlifting, whether you’re a competitor, a social lifter, an official, a coach, or a parent or supporter. Every person is contributing to the future of the sport and I thank you for all of your efforts. I hope to see as many people as possible at the Awards night and Planning Day in January.
Thanks again, and please get in touch on 0436-450-835 or jmildren@qwa.org if you need more information or have some feedback you’d like to share.
Jim Mildren
President – Queensland Weightlifting Association
