A teenage Bolton powerlifter has earned World Championship glory – adding to her British and European titles.

Eighteen-year-old Freya Johnson took home a world title at the 2022 WPC Amateur World Championships recently.

The powerlifter, from Lostock, competes in the under-67.5kg weight category, and managed a staggering 437.5kg across three different lifts; a total which earned her the Best Lifter award on the day.

Kila Johnson, Freya’s mother, describes how her daughter was introduced to powerlifting at the age of 14.

“She was at the gym with her dad and her brother,” she said. “They were lifting and she just asked if she could try picking a weight up.

“The weight was about 110kg, and she’d never touched a weight before - her dad said ‘no, you can’t do it, that’ll be too much for you at the moment’.

“Her brother showed her how to do it and she literally lifted it up off the floor like it was nothing.

“He was powerlifting at the time and I think she wanted to follow that path.”

Just weeks after her World Championship win, Johnson is determined to prove herself again - this time, however, in the world of professional MMA.

She has an extensive background in martial arts - she was introduced to wrestling at eight years-old and transitioned to Brazilian jiu jitsu as a teenager - so it’s no surprise tJohnson has set her sights on combat sports.

Her mum explains that, due to her experience and athleticism, the teenager has been “fast-tracked” to training with UFC stars like Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett and “Meatball” Molly McCann.

She said: “She’s also training in MMA, where she trains with the pros at Next Generation in Liverpool.

“So she trains with Paddy “The Baddy” [Pimblett] and Molly McCann, and the other pros that are there.

“She’s been fast-tracked, so it’ll probably be within the next year that she gets her first fight.

“That’s her next goal - she does want to become a professional MMA fighter.”