Australia Names Record-Breaking Squad For Para-Powerlifting Worlds 

Formidable Para-powerlifting rising star Dylan Braan will be looking to propel himself into the world’s elite when he represents Australia at the World Championships in Egypt in October. 

Braan was among a record 15 athletes selected to Australia’s team for the World Championships, which was announced at the end of the Paralympics Australia Para-Powerlifting National Championships at RACV Resorts Royal Pines on the Gold Coast on Saturday.  

The team is headed by Paris Paralympic Games representatives Hani Watson and Ben Wright and includes an exciting group of athletes spanning a wide range of weight classes. Among those to watch is Justin Marafioti, who competes in the over 107-kilogram class and brings great strength from a background in bodybuilding, and lightweight female lifter Jade Pritchard, who is training consistently after recently implementing some technique improvements.  

Braan, who competes in the men’s over 107-kilogram classification, has improved rapidly over the past two years, technically and by weight lifted.  

“I competed at a World Cup event in Thailand last year and my personal best at that stage was 153. Now I’m lifting about 175,” said Braan, who trains five days a week, consisting of four bench days and one cardio day.  

“When I started, I couldn’t really lift that heavy and my coach, Simon [Para-powerlifting head coach Simon Bergner], he said, ‘No, you don’t want to lift heavy just yet. You just want the technique down’. With technique comes the strength and the heavier weights. And that’s what happened.  

“I’ll talk to my coach and we’ll see where I’m at before the World Championships. We’ll probably put a little goal there, whether it’s 180 or 185, or something like that. The biggest goal is to get no reds, to get all good lifts, all greens.” 

Bergner said Braan’s work ethic had him on track for success, though he is just one of a team brimming with potential.  

“This is the biggest team we’ve taken to a world championship,” Bergner said.  

“We’ve got some really great high performance athletes and some athletes that are early in their journey and have an opportunity to compete at a major international event. 

“Having Hani and Ben there will be really good for the team. They can provide a lot of their knowledge of what it’s like competing at the highest level, which will help some of the newer athletes to feel calmer under pressure.” 

Bergner said the World Championships was a major qualification pathway event for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics and would therefore feature upwards of 500 competitors. LA 2028 is a lure for the Australians, as is the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year. 

“We’ll be holding some development camps and some high performance camps over the next few months,” he said. “And the plan is to be in Egypt nice and early so we can get used to the time zone and get some team training done there before the competition starts.” 

A strong outcome for Braan could have him on track for a berth at LA. He also has his eyes on Brisbane 2032.  

“To get to the Paralympics, I have to be in the top eight, which at this stage is about 230 kilos,” he said.  

“But, doing powerlifting, not only am I physically strong, but I think I’m mentally stronger than I was. It’s just a lovely community as well. My coach is awesome. I’m looking forward for the future.” 

Australian team for the Para-Powerlifting World Championships, Cairo, Egypt, October 11-18, 2025 

By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia

Published: 5 July 2025