'More than medals' - Para-powerlifter out to inspire
Doaa Shayea is preparing for her first major multi-sport games
- Published
"I think for me it's more than medals, it's about representation," says Doaa Shayea, as she trains for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The Para-powerlifter from Plymouth will compete for England for the first time in Glasgow this summer.
To the 28-year-old, competing for England on such a stage is more important than seeking podium glory.
"If I can show someone else that you can be out here lifting really heavy weights, being really strong as a woman, that's super empowering," she told BBC South West.
"I think it's so important for people with disabilities to see that someone like myself is out there chasing their dreams, and if I can inspire one person beyond the medals I think I've done my job and I've passed on a legacy far greater than medals."
Doaa Shayea won silver at the European Para Powerlifting Championships earlier this year
Having been born with spina bifida - a condition that affects the spinal cord - Shayea turned to powerlifting in 2022, having previously been a wheelchair racer.
She won a silver medal at the European Para Powerlifting Championships in Georgia in March and, backed by her strong Muslim faith, is aiming for more glory in Glasgow.
But she says powerlifting is also something far more than competition to her.
"It's about physically making my body stronger," she said. "As a woman in a wheelchair, I think it's so important for me to be strong.
"The bone density that powerlifting gives you, the strength, and building a strong, big body that can carry you up through old age.
"I think someone with a disability, even more so, needing to be able to rely on my own capabilities, my independence, it makes me strong to be able to just go about my day.
"I think that's what connects me to the sport even more because it allows me to grow and to flourish and be strong in my life."
Doaa Shayea has been training at home in Plymouth in preparation for the 2026 Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games will be Shayea's first experience of a multi-sport event.
While she has been forced to miss time with friends and family to concentrate on training, she feels it will be worth it to have the chance of getting a medal for England in Glasgow.
"It definitely is feeling real," she said.
"I think with each session, the closer I get to it, it's starting to hit me a lot more and it's so exciting. The adrenaline and the excitement is really building up.
"The most important thing for me is to enjoy the moment and to enjoy putting on the England vest and to give it the best that I can and do the moment justice."
