Champion powerlifter urges youths to take sport seriously

National Junior Powerlifting Champion Runita White took the opportunity to share some insightful advice with young sportsmen and women during the presentation ceremony of the REO Inter Secondary School Cricket Competition. Owing to her father’s, businessman Rudyard White’s, sponsorship under his business W and R Electrical, the powerlifter found herself in the unique position to give some advice to the young and upcoming players.
In her heartfelt remarks, Runita White urged students to see sports as an avenue to boost their self-confidence. She stressed that sport helps in several areas. “This is the first time that my father, through his business, is sponsoring a sport event. However, based on the response that we have seen and the fact that I am confident that it has helped in identifying some of our better school cricketers, I am confident that my father will continue sponsoring this and other sporting disciplines,” she said.

White elaborated on her experiences and how she has benefited holistically from her involvement in sport. “What I would like to do, however, is to urge students — mostly our young people — to see sport as an avenue for creating development and enhancing themselves, as it helps in inculcating discipline, sportsmanship, unity, dedication, love, cohesive behaviour, commitment and dedication,” she said.
She added, “As a young woman, I am not just saying that sports is good because I want to sound impressive and look good; but, rather, because I have benefited significantly from the very advice that I am giving you. I have seen how it has helped me with my own personal life; with my holistic development as an individual, as a young lady; and most importantly, in my business and professional life,” she said.
She declared that she began competing in the sport of bodybuilding in February of 2018, and has excelled thus far, as she takes whatever she is involved in seriously. The talented young businesswoman noted that the aim should not be “just taking part,” but rather, competing at the highest possible level.
“You must not just play a sport; you must do it with passion, determination, humbleness, and most importantly be very disciplined and dedicated; as once you possess these attributes, then you would certainly be excelling,” she told those at the presentation ceremony.
White assured the players that while her chosen sport is powerlifting, she is very impressed with the level of competition that she saw, and most importantly the discipline and sportsmanlike behaviour exhibited among the players; and therefore she would be urging her father to come on board for another year.
White recently made history when she became the first woman in Guyana to claim a National Dead Lift Record of 195KG in the Junior 84+ KG category. The record is an unofficial FESUPO (South American Powerlifting Federation) record, and is considered the heaviest deadlift ever done by any woman in Guyana. Further, she has a Squat of 165 KG, which is a Junior record in the 84+ KG category; and a Bench record of 65.5KG which is another junior record in the 84+KG category.