Hong Kong teacher’s journey from 55kg weakling to weightlifting powerhouse

A quest to discover her limits has taken an English teacher on a journey from weakling to weightlifting powerhouse: in one day, Fiona Kettlewell dead-lifted 44,500 kilograms – 809 times her body weight.

She was part of a team of 24 in the “Pinnacle Million”, a weightlifting challenge staged in March to collectively lift one million kilograms in 24 hours for charity.

Not only did the team reach their goal in 12 hours, they almost doubled it, lifting 1,607,500kg in total – a new Asian record. The numbers are still perplexing for 32-year-old Kettlewell. Slight at only 55kg and with a small frame, she hardly seemed the candidate to take part in a weightlifting record.

“I had never really pushed myself to the limit, so I just wanted to see what I could do if I tried,” says Kettlewell, originally from Britain. “I’ve always been a sporty and active person, but I’ve never been ‘strong’.”

The Pinnacle Million was the inaugural fundraising event for the Pinnacle Foundation, a newly launched charity by local fitness facility Pinnacle Performance to develop underprivileged teens’ health and well-being by encouraging them to take up a sport.

Kettlewell, who heads the foundation, knew she and the team had to do something “bold” to gain attention for their plight. Director of Pinnacle Performance and head strength and conditioning coach Tom Summers came up with the torturous idea.