At Deakin University in Warrnambool Rob Harniman challenges his brain as a fourth year medical student. At the Anytime Fitness Warrnambool gym he challenges his brawn as a top Australian weightlifter eyeing off a world title.
The combination of brain and brawn defies the stereotype of weightlifters and Mr Harniman is happy to challenge the image.
“A lot of weightlifters are seen as big meatheads or aggressive guys, but you’d be quite surprised at how friendly these people are,” he said. “Ninety five per cent of them are just nice outgoing guys who lift weights as a hobby.”
Mr Harniman describes the weightlifting fraternity as “a really good community”.
“It’s like a giant family. When you go to these competitions there’s no rivalry. Everyone is friendly and even the guys you’re competing with are cheering you on and shaking your hand and helping each other out.”
Canadian-born Mr Harniman came to Australia on the recommendation of friends and to follow his fascination with the country.
“I had a few friends who did teaching and medicine here and all of them loved it and said it was a great experience,” he said. “I’d always had a fascination with Australia and wanted to see the country so took the opportunity.”
Likewise he followed friendly advice in moving to the Deakin University Warrnambool Campus to finish his medical degree.
“Warrnambool’s clinical school has a really good reputation for teaching and students rave about the living experience and the staff at the school,” he said.
“It’s lived up to the reputation and more. The sad part of going to Geelong next year for work will be leaving the clinical school and the town.”
Mr Harniman, 31, may eventually return to Canada to be closer to his family and partner Louise but for the moment he hopes to remain in Australia and possibly obtain dual citizenship.
His love of weightlifting stems back to his undergraduate study several years ago. “I was working out at the school gym and there were a couple of big guys there who asked if I was interested in lifting. I decided to go in and ended up setting some bench press records.”
About three years ago he was working out at a gym in Ocean Grove and was asked to become part of a power lifting team. “I did and I fell back in love with it,” he said.
Apart from the physical challenges, Mr Harniman enjoys the break from study and the social aspect of weightlifting.
He trains four or five times each week, for an hour each session.
“It’s the equivalent to study break time. It shuts you down, gets you out of the house and gets you around other people,” he said.
Last year Mr Harniman was second in his division in the Global Powerlifting Association world titles.
This year he hopes to go one step further. He recently qualified through the Council of Australian Powerlifting Organisations to compete in the World Powerlifting Congress titles in Portugal in November.
He topped his division, weighing in at 86kgs and squatting 190kgs, benching 155kgs and deadlifting 230kgs.
He aims to add 5-10kgs to each of those categories for his tilt at the world titles.