Local powerlifting prodigy Jayden Michaels speaks to The Post about his recent victory, and his come up.

“I’m still trying to come back to Earth a little bit.”

That’s what North Shore local Jayden Michaels had to say about becoming the Sub-Jr 66kg IPF Powerlifting World Champion in Johannesburg back in August.

“This is my third Worlds, so it’s not like the world stage is foreign to me, but being able to step on that podium was definitely a dream come true,” he said, speaking to The Post.

“[We have been] training for years for this specific goal… me and my coach literally went, ‘when we’re 18 that’s when we’re gonna go for the Worlds.’”

“As soon as I saw my mate [Muhammad] Hazrul, who I was competing against, miss his second attempt I was like, this has actually happened.”

Michaels began his powerlifting journey at 15, but says his roots in sport began back when he was a child, “just doing all the school sports that you could think of.”

He reached the National level for discus and shotput, but soon realised that being purely based on age category meant he was at an unfair disadvantage.

Michaels first real foray into powerlifting was the result of a joke from his now-current coach, Fred.

“I started going gym, on and off when I was doing training for discus and shotput,” he begins. “[So] my brother goes, ‘my best mate Fred –  he’s got a home gym, let’s go to his home gym.”’ “My brother and Fred are doing, I think, 125 kilo deadlifts, [and] Fred goes, ‘Jayden, you try to do that’. Like, as a funny joke, let’s make the 15 year old kid try and lift the weight. So I try to lift the weight, I actually get it up, and then Fred goes, ‘you’re pretty elite for your age, Jayden – you should start training with me.”

Michaels says he hasn’t missed a day since.

That dedication was something that didn’t falter, even when it came to the HSC – which Michaels undertook even whilst competing.

“I already knew I was going to go down that athlete, sport path, and nothing from my school  was gonna help me,” he said.

“I think I made the right decision on that. I feel like missing out on the Worlds,  maybe I just wouldn’t have done powerlifting, you know – butterfly effect.”

Michaels said that whilst not all teachers understood his passions, some, like his English teacher, made his life “so much easier”, especially during intense training periods.

“He was an absolute legend, man,” the athlete said, “he’d go, ‘you can sleep on the couch, right there, Jayden.’ He knew I was gonna do the assessments.”

Even without the support he did receive, Michaels thinks he’d be going down the same path. “I sort of had an understanding that, the better I get at this sport, the more opportunities I’m gonna get from it.”

He said once he figured that out, the choice between choosing to go to university or pursue his passion was “simple” – though, he understands that not everyone gets the gift of choice.

“I’m very grateful, I’m very lucky.”

It seems to have paid off – aside from powerlifting, Michaels also studies sports management while providing strength and swimming coaching.

When asked what’s coming next, Michaels expressed his interest in further content creation, wanting to create an identity that extends past being a number in a weight class. He posts content on his instagram page, @66_beano.

Of course, Michaels’ focus remains on powerlifting.

“We [have] a big competition called Sheffield, it’s all about the best in the world in all different weight classes, … versing to see who can break their own world record the most.”

“What is my big goal?” make it to Sheffield. Make it to that top spot.”