Ashleigh, New Zealand’s top female powerlifter and arm wrestling champion, boasts a world record with a 317.5kg bench press. Her journey has been marked by significant personal challenges, including recovering from a stroke in 2020 and caring for her terminally ill father. Despite these obstacles, she continues excelling as an athlete and a mother. After her father's passing, Ashleigh set a new world record, becoming the first woman to bench press over 300kg.

We recently spoke with Ashleigh about shattering barriers in sports for women and finding resilience during the most challenging times on her journey to achieving her dreams.