Lewis shows the way to battle to success
When Lewis Davies was selected to represent Wales in the Home Nations Power-Lifting Championships a few short weeks ago it was deserved reward for his persistence in over-coming a serious injury in another sport and soon finding success in his new one .
Because 23 year old Lewis Davies was playing as a flanker for Fishguard & Goodwick RFC first XV in February 2022 when an opposing player accidentally fell on him and his elbow caught Lewis in his eye, causing a detached retina and broken eye socket that required a plate to be inserted, but which caused more worry because a blood clot developed behind it.
It came after he had sustained a hairline fracture to his jaw in December 2021 after another clash of heads and the second injury affected his eyesight so that he was blind in his left eye for almost four months and still is partially colour blind after the sight started to return very gradually.
“It is like wearing sun glasses all the time when there is no sun,” Lewis explained, “and I realised immediately that it would be too dangerous to return to the oval-ball game.”
Lewis’s sporting comeback begins
Lewis hated the enforced inactivity so when the surgeon told him he could return to the gym he was delighted - and went along to the SAW Gym on The Riverside in Haverfordwest, where he had trained previously to build up his strength and conditioning for rugby, something he had worked on when he gained his BSc (Hons) degree in Rugby Coaching and Performance at the South Wales University in Treforest.
“It was great to get back in to some sort of sporting action and after a short while a job came up there to work alongside Chloe Hood as Academy Coaches and I got the job!
“There is a great camaraderie about the place and I loved it there but then a job came up in Fishguard Leisure Centre where I spend 30 hours a week as coach/supervisor at the Fitness Suite and although it is shift work (four days each week and some work on weekends) it certainly cuts down my travel because I live in the town - and I am hoping to initiate strength and conditioning classes for older students at Yugoslavia Bro Gwaun.”
Football followed by rugby as a nipper
With regard to his previous sporting life, Lewis started out as a genuine goal scorer who grabbed 32 goals in one junior season with Clarbeston Road and received more than his share of trophies with them and Fishguard Sports, following in the footsteps of his dad Nigel and brother Ryan, who, along with mum Julie as his greatest supporters in all he did before switching to play rugby with Fishguard and Goodwick.
“At junior level I was coached by Nigel Roach and Chris Evans, followed in youth by Jonathan Jones, who not only taught me how to improve my play but I learned a few new swear words as well because ‘J.J’ wasn’t afraid to tell us what he thought of us!
“I also played at County level throughout my junior playing days where Jonathan Llewelyn was junior coach followed by Jonathan Evans as my excellent coach with the Scarlets West, where I was joined in that squad with my Fishguard team mate Rhys Evans.
Into the first XV and helped by the Jenkins brothers and ‘Shoush’
At Fishguard & Goodwick Youth I played alongside players of the quality of my best mate Robbie Jones, Tom Meredith, Thomas George and Simon Colella - and from there I went straight into the first team and loved being coached by Nathan and Steve Jenkins, who were never afraid to praise us but woe betide us if they thought we hadn’t given 100%.
“Current skipper Chris Shousha really helped me develop my back row player and I looked up to Simon James as someone else who knew his stuff.”
Rugby days over – but power-lifting called!
But then came his accident and Lewis knew he couldn’t risk playing again - and so made the switch to power lifting, which he says was the best sporting thing he could have done. Thomas George provided him with an individual fitness programme and he was off and lifting.
“I took to it like a duck to water and made my lifting debut in September 2022 at the PB Performance Gym in Cardiff Bay - and was thrilled when I came first in the 93kgs class with a squat of 240 kgs, Bench Press of 132.5 kgs and Dead Lift of 250 kgs for a combined total of 622.5 kgs.”
Potential recognised with Welsh selection
It was a massive achievement for someone making their debut and he’s been involved in two other competitions since, starting in Yeovil, Somerset, where he competed against a bigger and much more experienced set of opponents - but again showed his potential with a new personal best total lift of 644kgs.
This resulted in his selection for the Welsh Power Lifting team to compete in the Home International Championships against England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, again at the PB Performance Gym in Cardiff in September and the event took place in front of a very large and appreciative audience that included his family and friends - and another personal best total lifts and the awarding of his Welsh tee-shirt, which he wore on the day with pride.
“I managed 255kgs (Squat), 135kgs (Bench Press) and 260 kgs (Dead Lift) for a combined total of 650kgs and I was thrilled to help Wales into second place, but a little disappointed since it left me 10kgs short of qualification for The British Championships next year - but with time on my side since I am very much a newcomer in the sport.”
Dedicated to making more progress
Ask Lewis about ambitions and of course they revolve in part to competing at a higher level like the British Championships, and just to continue to enjoy himself in his new-found sport.
“I know it demands a lot of commitment but I am totally dedicated and at my age time is certainly on my side. I’m due to meet up with my new Welsh coach Tom Morgan, who hails from Cardiff, in a zoom meeting to start things off as I also train at SAW and at Fishguard Leisure Centre.
“Until my next competition in 2023 I will make sure that sessions are relatively low intensity, with a warm up where I use just a 20kgs empty bar and replicate the techniques of each of the disciplines so that they become second nature.
“I increase the weight as the session unfolds and have a warm-down session to finish where I do static stretches and gradually relax – and it has to be done just as well as the other components.”
And finally . . .
Chat to Lewis Davies for just a short while and it is easy to see his commitment to his sport, and his self-belief in his ability to make further progress.
He is also a shining example of how to rise to the sporting challenge after an injury or illness and we at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk wish him every success in the tough sport of power lifting.
