The 2025 Australian Masters Nationals and Australian Masters Games late last month brought together the best lifters from across the country, with Dubbo’s own athletes making a powerful statement on the national platform.

Five Dubbo lifters travelled to Canberra for the events held from October 18-25, to showcase their strength, determination and community spirit across a week of incredible competition.

This year, 2025, marked the first national appearance for four of the team.

Carl Manning rounded out his first year of weightlifting with an impressive performance, finishing with a 56kg Snatch and a personal best (PB) Clean and Jerk of 80kg.

Of his performance, Coach Alyssa Walter said, “Carl has shown persistence and determination this year and it's great to have it all come together on the platform.”

Cameron Forbes secured an outstanding second place finish, posting competition PBs of a 37kg Snatch and 60kg Clean and Jerk. Having only started eight months ago, Cameron has shown huge growth in his technique and strength, setting him up for a positive weightlifting future.

Kimberly Walter entered her first national competition in the youngest age category, delivering a career-best performance. She recorded a 50kg Snatch and a PB 67kg Clean and Jerk to steal second place.

This result reflects the hard work Kimberly has put into weightlifting despite the many setbacks. After a week of volunteering her time as technical official for NSW, Kimberly was overwhelmed with her results. She is now aiming to qualify for the 2027 World Masters in Japan.

Adrian Carey achieved first place in his session with a Snatch of 120kg and a Clean and Jerk of 145kg.

Crystal King from Cobar also delivered an incredible performance with a PB Snatch of 44kg and Clean and Jerk of 60kg. Crystal surpassed the 100kg total – a mammoth achievement.

Josh Annis-Brown from Orange competed for his second time this year and walked away with a silver medal. He successfully Snatched 106kg and Clean and Jerked a massive 134kg.

To round out the week, Alyssa Walter pulled together an outstanding performance to be crowned National Champion with a 60kg Snatch and 87kg Clean and Jerk.

Coming back from a recent injury just three weeks prior to the competition, this win reflected her hard work and determination.

Alyssa qualified for the 2026 World Masters Weightlifting Championships and will be heading to Greece in 2026 to represent the country.

The collective results highlight not just individual success, but the thriving weightlifting community growing in the Central West.