Canberra Fitness Expo shows off top Masters

The capital’s top fitness show featured great young and old lifters but it was the venerable Masters who stood out here with age group records galore,

The renaissance of Deamo Baguga continued with the 41 year old from Naoero setting three M40-44 World Records in a world class 778kg/596 points Total. Then Ian Middlemiss trimmed down from 105kg to add the M45-49 85kg Bench Press record to this collection with a 170kg, which could well have been c.176kg but for a youthfully impetuous jump to 180kg.

Even further up the age scale another record came from Stephen Mitchell in the M60-64 105kg Bench Press, while reformed bodybulider Kim Tanska also grabbed a record in the same age group 85kg class Deadlift.

Youth was not unheard from though, with barely-out-of-juniors Kasongo Tshogi shocking all with 775kg at 105kg in his very first contest ever, scarilly close to 2024 World Champion Fern Cook’s 786kg. A smaller package but also a good start came from Rory Stephen, 540kg at 69kg, while out on day release from Fitness First.

2026 was just the start for the Canberra show. Next year’s Expo will feature the Oceania Championships over two full days, with top lifters from all around the Pacific and beyond.