FOUR years after nearly having to quit the sport because of a serious back injury, powerlifter Leigh Wetheridge is preparing to represent her country at the European Championships.

The 21-year-old, from Eastwood, won the 84kg-plus under-23 national title in October to book her place in the Great Britain team for the European Championships in Estonia.

It completes a remarkable turn-around for Wetheridge who suffered a serious injury while lifting in 2012.

“I had to have a year off completely because I damaged a disc in my back,” said the former Westcliff High School for Girls pupil.

“At the time it was quite scary and it was a long process coming back. You have to be careful lifting.”

Wetheridge, who first took up the sport after realising she was quite strong while lifting weights on trips to the gym with her dad, eased herself back into competition, gradually building up her strength before she made her debut at the national championships in October.

“I’d been competing regionally for a long time,” she said. “ But I had never done the national championships until this past October.

“I didn’t know any of the other girls I was lifting against so wasn’t too sure how I’d do.”

Wetheridge needn’t have worried as she proved herself a class apart from her rivals, winning gold and smashing two British records in the process.

She lifted 190 kgs in the dead lift and her overall total of 430 for the three disciplines (squat, bench press and deadlift) was also a national best.

Wetheridge, who has to balance training with studying for a law degree at the University of Kent, will now be hoping to repeat or even better that performance when she heads to the European Powerlifting Championships in Estonia in March.

“I’m really excited,” she said. “I can’t wait it’s going to be a great experience. Europe is very strong in powerlifting terms so it’s going to be tough.

“But I’m training hard. It can be hard balancing training with my degree and my work as well. But it’s a good way to relieve stress and I’ll keep that up before a week before the championships before I drop it off a bit to get ready for the competition.”