Duo muscle in on a new-found success
Weightlifting wasn't an obvious move for Conor Murphy and Isabel Rogers - but now has both dreaming of international glory.
The pair, from Cannock, claimed a bronze medal each in the recent English Championships.
It continued their impressive progress in a sport which has given them a second chance, after injury appeared to have derailed their hopes of success.
Murphy was a promising rugby player, capped by England at youth level, before a persistent hand injury forced him to quit.
A serious knee injury, meanwhile, meant Rogers, a talented junior long jumper, had to give up her promising career in athletics.
Murphy explains: "We both kind of found weightlifting. I'm originally from Cornwall and was going to sign as a youngster for Exeter rugby club, only to dislocate my shoulder.
"I was out for a year and though I started playing again at Preston Grasshoppers, I kept dislocating my finger and eventually needed an operation.
"Isabel was touted for big things when she was younger but suffered torn knee ligaments.
"We both started Cross-Fit training and found out we were both quite good at weightlifting and it has gone on from there.
"We have both qualified for the British Championships and that will be a good marker. The Commonwealth Games in 2018 is a goal but we will see what happens."
For Rogers, who competes in the 69kg category, the goal is slightly higher.
Part of the the British Weightlifting World Class Programme, she trains four times a week at Loughborough and is part of a group targeting the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Murphy, meanwhile, is hoping to develop even more weightlifters of the future at the Optimal Sports Performance gym on Walkmill Lane, where he runs several classes a week.
Penkridge's Aaron Fletcher is one such hopeful, with the 19-year-old hoping to also qualify for the British Championships, while 15-year-old Trudy Bayliss is a member of the British Regional Squad.
Murphy added: "It's a tough sport, one you have to really work on and the biggest tests are as much mental as physical.
"One of the main things you need is patience, weightlifting is not something you can rush and development does not always go at the pace you might want.
"But it is very rewarding when things go well."
For more information on the Optimal gym visit optimalsp.co.uk.
