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If you like your Para-sport stars strong, shredded and starring in sword-wielding epics, you might want to find a front-row seat at the 2025 Para-Powerlifting National Championships this Saturday on the Gold Coast.
Because Daniel Bos is lifting more than just heavy weights. He’s chasing dual sporting dreams in Para-powerlifting and bodybuilding, all while carving out an exciting acting career.
“I’m a bodybuilder by trade, as I like to say,” Bos said. “But strength training has always fed into my physique goals and vice versa. You can’t stay shredded all year, so having something else to chase, like a lifting number instead of a measurement, is helping to keep me very motivated.”
After years of hitting the gym to build both aesthetic muscle and functional strength, Bos’s natural aptitude, especially on the bench, has made him a rising star in the Para-powerlifting ranks. And his progress did not go unnoticed by Paralympics Australia’s talent scouts.
The turning point came via Instagram. Bos’s growing online presence caught the eye of Simon Bergner, Head Coach of Paralympics Australia’s Powerlifting High Performance Program.
“Simon just messaged me one day and said, ‘Hey, want to come see what we’re about?’” Bos said. “My only condition was, ‘Can I keep bodybuilding?’ And he’s been unreal about that. He respects where I come from.”
That support has been game-changing. Under Bergner’s guidance, and with input from a supportive community at his training base in Newcastle, the 27-year-old smashed through his long-time bench plateau earlier this year and is now hovering around the 150kg mark in the 54kg weight class.
“I was at 140 [kg] for ages, but just kept putting in the work and was able to finally break through which was awesome. It shows that hard work does pay off if you continue to apply yourself.”
Strength runs in the Bos blood. Bos’ father Willem represented Australia in Para-powerlifting at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and remains his “best mate and biggest supporter.”
“Dad knows what it takes. He provides good advice and we agree on a lot of technique, especially with the bench. He’s amazed at how the sport has evolved, in a good way.”
Bos’ own journey as an athlete in the Paralympic Movement started young – a PA Talent Search Day in Newcastle in 2009 to be exact. He was 12-years-old and already dreaming big. But it wasn’t until he followed a YouTube rabbit hole at age 19 that his passion really accelerated.
“I saw this guy – David Laid – who did strength training and aesthetics. He was shredded but strong, not your typical bodybuilder. That was it for me. I was hooked.”
Now his ambition has developed into a serious plan: impress in his National Championship debut, win a medal, build momentum and eye off a place on the Australian Para-Powerlifting Team for the World Championships in Egypt this October.
“If I can stay in my weight class and keep improving, that’s the goal. World Championship and then maybe, the LA Paralympics in 2028.
“If I land three clean lifts this weekend, I’ll have no complaints. I’ll know this is just the beginning.”
As if the gym and platform weren’t enough, Bos has also taken his talents to the screen. In September, he’ll appear in Spartacus: The House of Ashur, premiering on Stan, playing a gladiator – a role he describes as “the best thing I’ve ever done.”
“I had no acting experience. I just threw my name in, landed on my feet and got it. Between lifting and acting, if I can do that for a living, I’m a very happy person.”
Bos will be among a record number of competitors when the Para-Powerlifting National Championships are staged at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast.
Spectators are invited to attend, entry is free.
Date: Saturday July 5
Time: 4.30-8.30pm
Location: RACV Royal Pines Resort, Ross Street, Benowa, Qld
For more information on the event, click the link.
By Tim Mannion, Paralympics Australia.
Published 3 July 2025.
