ROYAL Navy office Reece Meakin helped lift his team into second place at the 2014 Combined Services Powerlifting Championships.

The air engineer based at RNAS Culdrose was part of the naval team at the competition held at RAF Cosford, in the West Midlands.

They pitted their strength against teams from the British Army and Royal Air Force.

The contest took a unique guise in that this year there were no weight categories as the Schwartz formula was used This sets all the lifters against each other and work out who was the strongest across the competition pound for pound.

Throughout the year the strongest 12 competitors were chosen to compete in the squat, bench press, deadlift and full power disciplines.

Meakin was in the latter of the disciplines and produced a brilliant performance to claim second in the category with a total lift of 640kg at 90kg bodyweight.

His team-mate Marine Mark Hourston from RMB Chivenor, third achieving a 555 kg total at 74 kg bodyweight.

Overall these impressive individual deeds culminated in the Royal Navy taking second place to a well deserved Army team.

Lieutenant Mike Hawkins, chairman of the Royal Navy Powerlifters Association, said afterwards: “The Navy team performed well throughout the competition.

“Competing at such a high level for the Royal Navy during the Combined Services Championships proves what hard work individuals have put in this year.

“As a testament to the quality of our lifters, there are not many who are 100 per cent content with their lifts.

“Such is the way of our sport and the mental attitude of those who compete, they are always looking to lift a little more.”

The chairman has already set his sights on next year’s event by issuing a rallying call to all Naval Powerlifters.

“We are always after more and more people to get involved with the Powerlifting circuit to compete in both the women’s and men’s categories,” he said.