EMILY Lloyd-Whittington has targeted world championship success as the Newtown power lifter continues to take the sport by storm.

The 20 year from Newtown has set a host of new English and British records since taking up the sport just a year ago.

Last month the Manchester-based student won four gold medals for England at the International Powerlifting Federation’s Commonwealth Championships in South Africa, cheered on by her parents, Nigel and Terryanne of Newtown.

Lloyd-Whittington also set three two English records in the under 63kg junior class with a 145kg squat and 80kg bench before setting a new British record with a 167.5kg deadlift.

Her overall tally of 392.5kg earned the former Newtown and Llanfair Caereinion High School student a fourth gold medal.

Next month she heads to Motherhwell for the Junior British Powerlifting Championships where success will put her in contention for the IPF World Powerlifting Championships in Canada next summer.

The athlete hopes to maintain her massive strides in the sport having shattered all records at under 23 level and is currently appealing for sponsorship, setting a target of £5,000 to cover the costs of competing in the European Championships in Lithuania and World Championships in Canada.

“The goal is to compete at the World Championships and I would like to get a world title or a podium place,” said Lloyd-Whittington. “The world records are a higher than the British ones because you have the Americans and other countries competing.

“It would be nice to be able to do the European and World Championships but it is very costly and it would be amazing if sponsors could help.”

“I find it amazing what the body can do,” she added. “You can push it to do anything. I never thought I would be able to lift the numbers I do when I started and it shows that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it.”