A powerhouse of West Leederville is championing the strength of his community to help him make a return to his sport of choice after enduring five strokes.
In 2007, Nathan Baxter was one of the best powerlifters in Australia, becoming known throughout the community for his record-breaking lifts and national title claims.
“Growing up, I always admired big and strong people,” he said.
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READ NOW“When I found powerlifting, I absolutely loved it and how it is really all about setting goals, pushing yourself and to keep going and going.
However, it wasn’t too long after claiming a Commonwealth record in 2016 when Mr Baxter’s life and journey took an unexpected turn, experiencing a series of five strokes from a blood clot that had been accumulating over three years.
“After the strokes, I really thought I’d never be able to powerlift again; I had kind of given up,” he said.
Only he didn’t.
Despite the challenge of navigating his own brain injury, Mr Baxter decided to study neuroscience at UWA as part of his rehabilitation, as well as launching a mentorship business in the background.
“I really missed being apart of the powerlifting community ... it is such an accepting and inclusive group of people,” he said.
“I felt like I had a new story and a new set of skills to pass on to people, which is why I decided to launch the mentorship program to help other sportspeople going through similar circumstances.”
Flash forward to now and Mr Baxter has been given the opportunity to make a return to the international powerlifting scene, this time as a qualified referee.
“Recently, witnessing the resurgence of the Australian Powerlifting Alliance and their participation in the IPF World Bench Press championships in Austin, Texas, reignited my passion for the sport,” he said.
“It’s inspired me to make my comeback and contribute to the community that has given me so much over the years.”
He still needs a bit of financial help to wing his way to Texas next month and has a GoFundMe page online to help with contributions.
“Your contribution will help me pursue my dream and facilitate the growth of powerlifting in Australia,” the GoFundMe post reads
“With your help, we can bring international competitions to our shores and inspire the next generation of lifters.”