Caerphilly Member Ieuan Barry Represents Wales in Powerlifting
Ieuan Barry, born of wonderful parents, was diagnosed with autism as a young child. His parents were attentive to his needs and Ieuan has learned to stretch himself in life. When the opportunity to represent Wales at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships came about, he and his family engaged in the necessary fundraising to be able to attend and go and do. An inspiration to his peers and family, as he represented his country in Auckland, New Zealand in November 2022.
What first got you into powerlifting?
At first I had no idea where my journey in sport would end up, but, at the age of 16, I was taking my GCSE’s and I decided that I would like to get physically and mentally better – fitter in general – so I started doing a bit of everything; a bit of cardio, a bit of running, a bit of weights. Unstructured and unplanned. I started out by looking carefully at my diet, did some research into nutrition, and became more particular about what I ate.
By the time I was 17 I started to get more organised in my thinking about nutrition and exercise and gradually introduced changes that helped me do it properly – I got to know the things I needed to do.
How does success in powerlifting make you feel?
I feel like it gives me something that I’m really good at. I can do what a lot of people struggle to do. It’s consistency and longevity. I think about this moment in time, so I appreciate what I had to go through, progressing step by step, little by little. A lot of people like to get success in the short term, but I’m thinking long term and I definitely hope to be competing in the sport for as long as I can. I have aspirations to go down the coaching route as well, coaching other people, having my own business.
Tell me about your autism – in what way is life different for you with autism?
It’s interesting to try and explain as sometimes it can be quite difficult to interact with other people because the way my mind processes social situations is a bit different to other people. For example, if some people are joking and messing around, sometimes I might not really take it as a joke. In other ways my autism helps me to work to a routine and stick to it regardless of how I am feeling on a day-to-day basis. It gives me a determination to achieve my goals no matter what.
Can you tell us about any spiritual experiences you have had on your powerlifting journey?
In the run up to New Zealand I had a lot of dreams about going there. I can remember this one dream in particular. I was standing on this stage with loads of people watching so when I actually got to New Zealand I had a lot of déjà vu moments. I felt like I’d been there before. It was a kind of realisation that I was on the right path, like I was meant to be there and to experience what I had experienced. I’m really grateful that Heavenly Father was helping and guiding me in the direction I had to go and preparing me, so when I got there I didn’t feel overwhelmed, I didn’t feel stressed, I didn’t feel worried. I felt quite at home, which I had not expected.
Do you have a particular coach now?
Yes, his name is Tom. I’ve found him very valuable. He has revolutionised the way I train and the way I think about training. He was head coach and coach on game day - having him around really does help.
How have the standards of the church helped?
I’ve seen so many benefits from living the Word of Wisdom. I feel a lot more in tune; I almost feel like I can accomplish anything. I believe we can do so much more when we are following guidance from Heavenly Father.
How does support from your family make you feel?
My family helps to keep me accountable and grounded – in a good way. My Dad is one of my biggest assets on game day. He’s my biggest fan, that’s for sure, He’ll film all my lifts and stuff. He’ll show it back to me after I’ve done it, especially at my most recent competition. He was so instrumental. My family has been amazing!