Weightlifting Wales is governed by a board of directors, a mixture of director and membership-appointed individuals, who work together to drive the organisation forwards.
The board members also work with sub-groups, lending their expertise to discussions surrounding governance, finance, performance, development, equality and safeguarding.
Darren is an IWF cat 1 Technical Official and Board Member. He is involved in the sport of Weightlifting, and particularly with Weightlifting Wales because of the community and the people involved in the sport. There are no short cuts to standing on the platform. It takes hours and hours of dedication and we all understand this. Friends you make while weightlifting will be close friends forever. They will be shoulders to cry on , peers to take advice from and the step up to help you succeed.
Darren is also a trustee of a charitable organization which supports smaller charities within West Wales. “As chairman for 4 years, I found this role challenging and completely different to anything I had done before, however I believe the skills I gained while in this position have prepared me for my time on the board of Weightlifting Wales.”
‘Sport has always been a huge part of life, and after losing both my legs after a train accident at the age of 9 it became my main driver for to success and acceptance, and to prove to myself and others that no matter what life throws at you there is always a way through with the right mind set and outlook.
During my sporting career I had many highs and lows, from winning gold medals at major games, and breaking world records, to suffering almost career ending injuries and failures at Paralympics Games; I feel all these experiences allows me to best prepare the athletes I work with in current role within Disability Sport Wales as their Performance Pathway Senior Officer.
I am extremely excited to be a part of the board for Weightlifting Wales, I feel that with this appointment I can give back to the organisation after they gave me a fantastic opportunity to put on the red jersey of Wales and compete at my first Commonwealth Games in 2018. I want to help the organisation grow and increase opportunities for Disabled athletes to compete in this fantastic sport which will hopefully lead to more Welsh athletes achieve their goals with sport."
2006 Winter Paralympic Games Turin (Ice sledge Hockey)
2008 Summer Paralympic Games Beijing (Athletics – 4th Javelin)
2011 IPC Athletics World Championships ( Gold F57 Javelin)
2011 F57 Javelin world record holder
2012 Summer Paralympic Games London (Athletics)
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast (Para Powerlifting)
Vicky’s ‘day-job’ is as a Lecturer at Bangor University in Sports Science, where she has a teaching and research role within coaching science and talent development. This has more recently included a large-scale talent development project working with Weightlifting Wales to identify factors that contribute to expertise development in weightlifting. Vicky is also the Talent Identification and Transfer Lead for the Welsh Institute of Performance Sciences (WIPS); a partnership between Sport Wales, HE institutions and industry. Vicky has a passion for basketball and is a UKCC Level 4 Coach with experience working across the Basketball Wales National Team junior pathway programmes.
“So far I am really enjoying working with Weightlifting Wales in this Board role and look forward to supporting the sport in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games!”
Ross has 10 years of experience in the fitness industry and has co-owned a Crossfit facility in South Wales for the past 8 years alongside his day job as an electrician. During those 8 years, Ross has coached athletes from over 20 different sporting backgrounds, many of who have gone on to claim medals for their respective sports. Ross specialises in coaching Olympic Weight Lifting and founded SA1 Olympic Weightlifting Academy, a top Olympic Weightlifting club in Wales. He has coached an abundance of novice lifters all the way up to Commonwealth athletes, and has also been on the Weightlifting Wales coaching team at several international competitions.
After a Rugby and Athletics career, Ceri started to work in sport development working to create sporting opportunities in selected communities. Moving back to Wales in 1991 to work with the then Sports Council for Wales as a development office working with NGBs. This included Welsh Weightlifting. Having spent some time out of sport working with The Heritage Lottery Fund and The Princes Trust, Ceri realised that sport is the best industry to work in and went to work with The Amateur Swimming Association, managing the English Regions.
For the last 15 years, Ceri has have lectured and conducted research at University of Birmingham and currently University of Gloucestershire. Ceri specialises in Sports Politics. His research has focused on doping, publishing a number of papers.
Ceri has two children, both of whom have represented Wales in their respective sports.
Outside of Geology and his work as an Environmental Consultant, Filip has been involved in S&C training for the best part of 10 years.
Starting with rugby and then 6 years dedicated to Olympic Weightlifting. Filip has represented both Wales and GB on the platform, served as president of his University Barbell Club and gained experience as a competitor, coach and technical official.
“My ambitions as a director are to help others gain as much from weightlifting as I have, to attract newcomers to the sport, develop those already involved and to help the Governing Body provide the administration, support and mentoring that the athletes need and require.”
Jo Calvino, brings a wealth of experience to the board, not only as an International athlete for over 20 years but most recently Jo delivered one of the most successful international events in weightlifting in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games as the Weightlifting & Para Powerlifting Competition Manager. Jo is also an IWF Catergory 1 Technical Official but also built an established career in Aquatics and the sports charitable sector, within talent, development, education and events. Jo's commented on her recent appointment: ' I am very much looking forward to supporting Welsh Weightlifting to build and develop the sport to service its members positively and promote good governance'.
