Looking to just test his skill, massage therapist Lindsay Revell had no idea he would be classified as the third best 105 kg powerlifter in Oceania. Photo: Supplied.
When massage therapist Lindsay Revell took up powerlifting, it was meant as a means to look after his physical and mental health.
For five years, Lindsay worked out of his own gym, mixing strength and cardio, lifting heavy weights and running marathons. Fast forward to 2025 and Lindsay saw an opportunity to show off his skills, starting with a beginner powerlifting event in Sydney.
Little did he know, only a few weeks later, he would be classified as the third best lifter in Oceania for the 105 kg category and become a member of Australia’s national powerlifting team.
“I saw a beginner competition in Sydney that suited the end of my strength training phase,” he said.
“I half filled out the form, and then got distracted or something, and closed it, and the CEO of power lifting Australia (Robert Wilks) rang me like a minute later to help me finish filling it out.
“This dude’s super passionate. I was talking with him for a few minutes, and he asked how much I could lift. I told him, and he suggested that I enter the Oceania championships.
“Robert has been doing it for over 50 years; he’s coached multiple world record holders and he was convinced I’d go alright. Maybe not as well as I actually did, but he definitely had faith.
“Initially, I said that I didn’t want to. I’d never been to these kinda things before.
“I thought about it for a bit and ended up changing my mind later. I thought, travelling to Sydney is a big deal when you’ve got a couple of kids and a young family; who knows when I’ll be back.
“I decided to jump in the deep end, expecting to come last or at best get a participation award. But yeah, [I] found out that I took third.”
When not lifting weights or running marathons, Lindsay helps others recover at his massage therapy business, Optimal Massage Wagga. Photo: Supplied.
The shock results surprised many, but perhaps the person most blown away was Lindsay himself.
“About five days out … my behaviour started to change a little bit, like I was more just gazing into the distance and starting to not be able to eat much food,” he said.
“When I got there, there were people from India, New Zealand, Mongolia, and Nauru, which has a very big powerlifting culture.
“I started by lifting weights that I knew I could confidently do two reps of to set a benchmark. Then went for a PB on the next two lifts.
“It was super strange seeing all these guys with these big teams and coaches, then there’s me who trains out of my garage.
“I ended up finishing behind another guy from Australia and a big, big dude from Nauru.”
Lindsay will now set his eyes on the Australian titles in June next year, but in the meantime, he will be working on his own strength training and his massage business out of his home in Tatton, Optimal Massage Wagga.
“Strength training is literally one of the best things you can do for keeping your muscles happy – that’s what I tell everyone that comes in for a massage,” he said.
“It’s activating the body, and allows your muscles to express themselves to their fullest. Often, when people need a massage, it’s because they’ve been sitting in a chair all day or because they’ve overworked themselves. There really is a Goldilocks zone to make sure they’re well looked after.”
Optimal Massage Wagga boasts more than 160 five-star reviews on Google and is considered one of the best massage therapy locations in Wagga. To book an appointment, visit the website.
