Weightlifting is not really popular among Maltese female competitors and rarely gets media coverage but the promising Yasmin Zammit Stevens is doing all she can to lift the profile of her favourite sport on our shores.

Having just started practising the power sport in the latter months of 2015, Zammit Stevens has taken the weightlifting scene by storm as the former track and field sprinter established a long list of national records on her way to a series of remarkable achievements at home and abroad.

Among her most eye-catching results last year were the European U-23 Championships in Israel where she topped the Group B category and finished ninth overall in a very competitive field.

She also placed sixth in the Commonwealth Championships in Malaysia on her way to clinching a qualifying spot for the Mediterranean Games and in Doha the 23-year-old was classified a creditable fifth in the International Cup.

Earlier last month, the 69kg national champion was honoured for her achievements when she received the Master Level Award and Most Improvement Award at a Malta Weightlifting Association presentations night.

“I’m really proud of my results,” Zammit Stevens told The Sunday Times of Malta.

“For those outside the sport it looks as though I came out of nowhere and struck immediate success. But, really, it’s difficult to explain in words how much I worked for this.

“When I get involved in something I produce my 100 per cent effort and the last 12 months I dedicated my life completely to weightlifting.

“It was after the European Small Nations Championship in March that I decided to take the sport more seriously. I got a nutritionist on board and embarked on an intensive training programme. I was led by the right coaches and ever since then I’ve been training almost seven hours daily.

Jesmond Caruana was the one to fill me with confidence and encourage me to go for higher objectives

“In life, I always worked hard for my achievements and today I am even more motivated to reach higher objectives.”

Now that she has established herself as Malta’s leading female lifter, the affable Zammit Stevens reckons it’s also time to set the bar higher.

“My goal now is quite simple… I want to reach levels that no other Maltese woman has every dreamed of in our sport,” she said.

“Looking back I never thought I could get this far in such a small time-frame but with hard work and sheer dedication I went beyond my own expectations.

“Sometimes it’s good to dream big and now I want to follow in Kyle Micallef’s footsteps and become the first Maltese woman lifter to compete at the Olympic Games. But participation alone is not enough… I want to be prepared and challenge for high positions.”

Despite setting such high standards, Zammit Stevens is not looking too far ahead as she aims for a qualifying berth at the Commonwealth Games in Australia next year.

The top 12 lifters from Commonwealth countries will compete at the Gold Coast in 2018 and Zammit Stevens is already well placed as she is currently ranked seventh in her class.

But first she will have to focus on the European Championships in Split next April.

“2017 will be a big year for my aspirations to qualify for the Commonwealth Games,” she said.

“In Split, I will be the first Maltese woman ever to compete in weightlifting at the Europeans. I have to prepare seriously for that meet as a good placing could mean a higher position on the international rankings.

“There are only 12 qualifying spots for the Commonwealths and although I’m in a good position I cannot afford any poor showings at this stage as the competition is very high.”

Zammit Stevens is a fitness instructor by profession. She admits that weightlifting is not a sport that attracts young sportswomen easily but is hoping that her achievements will help to change the perception among Maltese women.

“Unfortunately, many reckon, even in Malta, that weightlifting is a sport exclusively for men,” she said.

“Some girls might also think that weightlifting will make them look big or masculine but that it’s not the case. Ever since my first training sessions I felt in the best shape of my life… and nobody has ever told me that I don’t look like a 23-year-old woman.

“People could also mix weightlifting with bodybuilding. But our sport is all about body strength and not muscle toning so I urge any girls out there who are interested in staying fit to try out this sport. I’m sure they will enjoy it.”

Zammit Stevens stressed that none of her achievements would have been possible without the assistance of coach and association president Jesmond Caruana who she describes as the “heart and soul” of weightlifting in our country.

“Jesmond Caruana has been so influential in my career,” Zammit Stevens said.

“He was the one to fill me with confidence and encourage me to go for higher objectives in our sport.

“Without his guidance and advice I wouldn’t be in the same position I am today. He knows exactly what he is talking about and like the rest of the lifters in the team I have full trust in him.

“He is the heart and soul of our sport and he genuinely wants all of us to succeed. I certainly cannot ask for a better mentor.”