{"id":776904,"date":"2026-09-20T15:12:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T15:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/776904\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T15:12:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T15:12:12","slug":"my-12-year-weightlifting-comeback-proves-its-never-too-late-to-get-back-to-your-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/776904\/","title":{"rendered":"‘My 12-year weightlifting comeback proves it’s never too late to get back to your goals’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gemma says she wanted to show her kids that you can still do the things that feel a bit scary, even after setbacks\"Gemma<\/p>\n

Gemma Massey has returned to competitive weightlifting 12 years after her last competition(Image: Tracy Steele Photography)<\/p>\n

This is Belfast mum Gemma Massey who has returned to competitive weightlifting 12 years after her last competition.<\/p>\n

For Gemma, a personal trainer, Bowen therapist and massage therapist, it’s proof that a back injury, ongoing nerve pain and the everyday demands of raising a family<\/a> don’t have to be the end of your goals.<\/p>\n

Gemma, 43 and from West Belfast<\/a>, is mum to Charlotte and Jack. Founder of strength and recovery studio Re-Balance You, Gemma competed at The Outset Open, hosted by NI Weightlifting, on September 12 at Outset Gym, Hulls Lane, Lisburn<\/a>. It’s her first competition in 12 years, having first stepped onto a competition platform 14 years ago.<\/p>\n

In the years between, Gemma fractured her back before the birth of her daughter. The injury left her with nerve pain down one side of her body that she still lives with today.<\/p>\n

“That injury really knocked my confidence in what my body could do,” said Gemma. “For a long time I didn’t know if I’d get back to lifting properly again, never mind competing. But with the right team around me, and a bit of time and patience, you can get back things you thought were gone for good.”<\/p>\n

\"Mum-of-two<\/p>\n

Mum-of-two Gemma is a personal trainer, Bowen therapist and massage therapist(Image: Tracy Steele Photography)<\/p>\n

Gemma says the return to competition was about more than lifting weights<\/a>. As a mum running her own business, she wanted to speak openly about how easily women<\/a> can lose sight of themselves once children, work and everyday responsibilities take over.<\/p>\n

“Nobody really talks about how, when you become a mum, you kind of drop down the pecking order of your own life,” Gemma explained. “School runs, dinner, the house, work. Everyone else comes first. Being a mum is an amazing job, but your priorities change, and it’s easy to lose track of yourself in the middle of it all.<\/p>\n

“I wanted to show my kids that you can still do the things that feel a bit scary, even after setbacks, and when life has completely rearranged your priorities.”<\/p>\n

\"Gemma<\/p>\n

Gemma competed at The Outset Open on September 12, her first competition in 12 years<\/p>\n

Gemma runs Re-Balance You, a Belfast-based strength, movement and holistic therapy practice combining personal training, group fitness classes, Pilates, sports massage and Bowen Therapy, a hands-on treatment she is certified in through the College of Bowen Studies.<\/p>\n

She credits her coaching team at GoLift Weightlifting Club, including coach Peter Stewart, along with the ongoing support of Louise Murphy PT, with helping her prepare for the competition: “Louise believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Having the right people in your corner makes all the difference.”<\/p>\n

Gemma hopes her story will resonate with other mums, and with anyone who has felt they had to put their own goals on hold. Progress, she says, is possible at any stage of life.<\/p>\n

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here<\/a> and sign up to our daily newsletter<\/a> here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gemma says she wanted to show her kids that you can still do the things that feel a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":776905,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[2864,6647,34489,102,97891,2205,56,54,55,25888,658],"class_list":["post-776904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-family","tag-fitness","tag-fitness-and-wellbeing","tag-health","tag-lisburn","tag-real-life","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-west-belfast","tag-women"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=776904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/776905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=776904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=776904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=776904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}