In a plot twist that feels medically engineered for maximum drama, a teenage powerlifter from Redditch managed to snag double gold at a world championship while her endometriosis decided to flare up into 'excruciating' pain right before the big event. Lhamo Weston, 18, didn't just stop at gold - she also grabbed a silver and a bronze across three events at the World Sub-Junior & Junior Powerlifting Championships in South Africa last month.

Weston, who only started lifting three years ago after her brother inspired her, now uses social media to chat openly about having endometriosis and being a young woman in powerlifting - probably because she's tired of the condition being treated like a secret handshake. She told the BBC she loves the sport for its inclusivity: 'I love how inclusive it is and how we're like a community. Everyone knows each other and are really supportive of each other.' Because nothing says 'community' like a bunch of people who lift heavy things and cheer each other on.

In the Under 57kg category, she powered through to two golds in squat and deadlift, plus a bronze in bench press. 'I went into it with expectations of potentially reaching podium,' she said, 'I didn't initially expect to place second or even have a chance at placing first.' But the real challenge wasn't the barbell - it was her endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows elsewhere, causing 'excruciating amounts of pain' and making weight management a nightmare. 'It can affect my training with the pain, I get quite tired and I also get back pain which can feel the same as a back injury. It was difficult but we managed to do it.'

Endometriosis affects one in 10 women in the UK, yet Weston says awareness is thinner than a gym mat. She's been dealing with it since age 12 but only got diagnosed last year. 'It was a very long journey and I just think there needs to be more awareness so we can try and find solutions to help other people.'

Her advice to aspiring lifters? 'If you want to do it, go for it. At the end of the day, there's nothing holding you back.' Except, you know, a chronic condition that feels like a back injury - but she managed anyway.

Weston trains at Elite Fitness gym in Redditch and, despite moving to Worcester, still commutes 45 minutes each way - clearly dedication knows no distance. Sam Pope, a staffer there, calls her an inspiration: 'For other young people of her age, it just shows that actually if you put the effort in, the reward is there. To have her as a role model is very important because it does allow others to think 'I can do this as well'.' Because if a teenager with a painful chronic condition can lift double gold, the rest of us have no excuses - especially when we're just sitting on the couch.

In related news, the article also mentions new hope for women with endometriosis symptoms, stories of how the condition impacts jobs, and tech that could speed up diagnosis - because waiting years for a diagnosis is apparently still a thing in 2025.