THE UNIVERSITY of York Strength Club was officially ratified by the York Sport Union earlier this month.
UYRUFC’s Michael Gibson, sometimes known by alias Carter Jones, or Candy by his friends, started the club to give himself something to do whilst sidelined from rugby with injury.
Candy, a third-year Sociology and Social Psychology student, exclusively told Vision: “The Strength Club is about four different disciplines: Weight-lifting, Power-lifting, Bodybuilding, and Olympic lifting.
“There are weekly sessions planned for each of the four disciplines.
“It’s not all about raw power and how big you are – the aesthetics of gym work are also very important. I want the club to be more attractive to women members too.”
Candy hopes that the club, which currently has around a dozen registered members, will really take off, with women primarily the target.
Keen to avoid the stereotypes that will inevitably come with the Strength Club, he wants to focus on enticing female members first, and then focusing on attracting perhaps more traditional body-builders, such as rugby players.
Candy first began his interest in power-lifting in his hometown Oxford, where he has competed in tournaments in the past at the University of Oxford.
He says that if anyone is interested in joining the Strength Club, or wants more information, they should send him an email at <[email protected]>.