Veronique Cormier
powerlifter
Veronique Cormier has established herself as a leading powerlifter in her home nation of Canada.
- 6 x bodyweight total
- Qualified for the World Championships
- Placed second nationally in Canada (2020) with a 345kg total
- Squatted well over double bodyweight
She competes in the 57 kg category. At 18 she competed at the Eastern Canadian Championships and at 20 she hit the nationals (Junior class). She lifted a total of 312 kg there and went on to the Pan American Championships that year.
In 2020 she lifted a massive 345kg, over 6 times her bodyweight on return to the Nationals. Her personal bests are 132 kg (291 lb) in squat, 80kg (176 lb) in bench and 145 kg (320 lb) in deadlift. All were completed raw in the 57 kg (125lb) category.
The lifts placed her second nationally and qualified her for the World Championships.
“Placing second at the Canadian powerlifting nationals in the 57kg female junior division and Qualifying for the powerlifting World Championships was a real highlight” she says.
Vegan
The lifts at the 2020 Nationals were a big step up for Veronique. She added serious increases to all three lifts to show what she can achieve. This was her first large meet since turning vegan in the summer of 2019.
The move was made for ethical reasons centred primarily on animal cruelty, and the transition was a great success.
Now she eats a lot of tofu rice and different types of beans and other legumes. Veronique also has a business called Leafy Gains where she bakes high protein cookies, and they play a part in her nutrition plan too.
Unsurprisingly she has yet to have any issues with other lifters being sceptical about her dietary choices. She finds the training is adequately fuelled by the diet. Training centres on the three powerlifting lifts and she also includes accessory work.
A bright future
Veronique has more planned, and given her achievements to date, it will be exciting to see what happens next.
“I wish to be able to go and place top 5 at the world championships in Minsk, Belarus” she says. “I wasn’t able to go last year due to Covid. And to go to the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in New Zealand and break the 57 kg junior records later in 2021.”