Chris Jenkins (powerlifter)

Early life

Chris Jenkins was raised in Port Talbot and was a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr. Jenkins began weight training at age 11 to improve his running at school. His grandfather would take him to run on the sand dunes at Aberavon beach to build up his leg strength. From 1992–1994 he competed in races at county level, with West Glamorgan and national level at cross country running and athletics, 100 and 200 metres. At 13 Jenkins began karate with the Fairfield karate club, under Sensei Cedric Wellington. He also trained kickboxing under the guidance of former Welsh Flyweight boxing Champion, Welsh kickboxing champion and 2nd dan karate black belt David Afan Jones. In 1997 he began boxing with the Welsh Boxing Federation now Welsh Boxing Association and holds an amateur record of 7–0. Jenkins also holds a 1st Dan black belt in Wado Ryu karate under the Bushi Kai.

Powerlifting career

Chris Jenkins was coached in his teens, by Welsh weightlifter Mike Brown at his private home gym in Margam, Port Talbot. Brown also coached double Commonwealth weightlifting medalist Gareth Hives. Chris Jenkins competed in his first British powerlifting championships in 2000, winning the 18/19 teenage class and broke the British and European senior deadlift record of 282.5 kg at 82.5 kg bodyweight. In 2001 Jenkins won his first junior world title in Dallas, Texas. Jenkins holds the junior world record deadlift of 334 kg at 90 kg bodyweight and has been described as one of the biggest talents in British powerlifting, at senior level he also holds the British squat, deadlift and total records at 82.5 kg and 90 kg. The records include a 360 kg squat and 322.5 kg deadlift in the 82.5 kg (181 lbs) division set at the WPC world powerlifting championships in Palm Beach, Florida. In the 90 kg division Jenkins also holds the 90 kg (198 lbs) British squat record with 372.5 kg (819.5 lbs) and deadlift record with 335(738 lbs) kg set at Folkestone, England. Jenkins also holds a WR deadlift in the International Strength Association with 352.5 kg (775.5 lbs) set at 90 kg (198 lbs) bodyweight. Outside of Powerlifting Jenkins is also a practitioner in Wado-Ryu karate. Chris Jenkins also competes in judo contests and trains with the Port Talbot judo club.

Mugging incident

On 29 January Chris Jenkins managed to foil a purse snatching. A 26-year-old male attacked an 81-year-old lady at the Oxfam store in Port Talbot, taking her bag and purse. Taken from the South Wales Evening post "Mr Jenkins used a judo throw to floor the suspect and stayed with him until the police arrived".