SPORTING ascent could hardly have been more meteoric for York power-lifter Peter Bielby.

In less than a year, the 22-year-old Holgate ace has advanced from county competition to the ultimate honour of representing Great Britain in the world junior power-lifting championships to be held in the Czech Republic town of Pilzen from August 30 to September 4.

Declared Bielby: “It’s just such a privilege and a pleasure to have earned the chance to be called up to represent your country.

“I’ve always been determined to make some progression but I did not think it was going to be this quick.”

Harrogate-born Bielby, who works as a doorman, has always been a keen exponent of core fitness and was a regular trainer at the Absolute Fitness gym in Boroughbridge, where someone asked him to have a go at a power-lift less than a year ago.

“I had always maintained a solid level of core training when Jonty Banks, a lifting coach, asked if I was interested in giving it a go,” he recalled.

“I did and found I was good at the sport. I entered my first competition, which was a Yorkshire and North-east divisional tournament and I finished second. That got me really interested and I started getting better and better.”

So startling was his progress that after winning his age group event competing for the White Rose ranks in a Yorkshire clash against Lancashire, he was given an international call for the European Championships in Norway.

He finished 13th in Europe and that impressive display earned him the invitation for the world junior championships in the Czech Republic at the end of this month. Bielby will remain in the junior division of the sport until his 23rd birthday next January.

Power-lifting, which is seeking to become an Olympic sport after its break several years ago from straight weight-lifting, comprises three main disciplines.

There’s the squat lift, the bench lift and the dead lift with competitors having three attempts at each.

In British events, the three weight totals are added together to find the winner, but in the European championships Bielby revealed how each lift had to tally with a competitor’s own body weight to gauge scores based on body mass index.

Currently, Bielby’s best is 250 kilos – the equivalent of lifting a quarter of a ton – in the squat category; 150 kilos from the bench; and 250 kilos from a dead lift, where the weighted bar is hoisted up from the floor.

However, there is a threat to the dreadnought development which Bielby has revelled in over the last ten months – and that’s finance.

He would love to get in more training to help reach greater heights, but this precludes him from devoting even more time to his passion.

Bielby was boosted by cash assistance from several firms for his assault on the European Championships, but he would be grateful if anyone can provide some sponsorship to help his world championships bid.

“I’d love to improve more and I believe I can do if I could get some more assistance with the funds,” he said.

If anyone can assist they can phone Bielby on 07854 138473 or email him on peterbielby@hotmail.co.uk