Laura Burmeister, 31, has been lifting weights for five years. On Saturday, 6 October, the New Zealander's hard work paid off. Burmeister won four medals in the powerlifting competition, and the smile on her face at the end of the day indicated she was relieved to be finished. "I was doing it for Dr. Paul," she said, referring to the team doctor and "diet buddy" who helped her to make weight going into the competition.
Burmeister trained four days a week in preparation for the World Games, but now that she's finished her piece of the competition, she is looking forward to relaxing a bit. She said her celebration would almost certainly include eating ice cream. During the remainder of the World Games she looks forward to exploring Shanghai and cheering on the rest of her country's powerlifting teammates, who could all be found enthusiastically cheering Burmeister on during her day of competition. But the first thing she planned to do after winning on Saturday was phone her father, even if it was in the middle of the night, to include him in the celebration. One thing's for sure: there is a proud father in New Zealand, eagerly awaiting the return of a champion.
