A Portage product has lifted himself to a world championship opportunity.

Powerlifter Travis Mattice earned a gold medal last week in St. John's, Newfoundland for his performance in the M1-83 division at the Canadian Powerlifting Union National Championship. He says this group is for men aged 40-49, who weigh under 83 kilograms (183 pounds). Mattice outlines how the total score is calculated.

"You get three attempts at each lift. There's the squat, bench press, and deadlift," Mattice explains. "Your highest weight for each specific lift combined is your total score at the end. I squatted 212.5kg, bench pressed 160kg, and deadlifted 242.5kg, for a total of 612.5kg. That put me in first place in the division."

Mattice says with each attempt you want to go for a personal best, or close to it, however, he adds there is a bit of strategy to it. The weightlifter says keeping track of what your competitors have lifted can also be very important, which is where coaching comes into play.

The local says he's been powerlifting for a long time but notes this is his first time doing so at this weight.

"I have been competing in powerlifting for about 15 years. I competed in the Manitoba provincials back in September, and that meet was my first one in about five years," Mattice continues. "I took a bit of a break due to a shoulder injury but now have returned to the sport. I'm in quite a different division now, I used to compete at about 230 pounds, and now I'm competing around 180."

Mattice says it was a great feeling to know that he never lost a step after the five-year hiatus. While it took a ton of hard work and dedication, the Portager has now reached his goal and will be attending the world championships in October.

"I'm really looking forward to it. Half of the reason why I decided to take a run at it this year is that the world championships are actually in Canada. It's back in St. John's, Newfoundland," says Mattice. "This makes it a little more accessible for me, which is why I tried to focus on it so much and make it happen."

The training doesn't stop now for Mattice, as he will be continuing his preparation over the next four months to be able to put his best foot forward at the World Classic & Equipped Masters Powerlifting Championships in October.