WELL-KNOWN as a florist in Hexham, local business woman Jo Foster showed she is also a dab hand behind a set of weights.

For the 45-year-old who owns Dillies flower and gifts shop in the town centre set two new divisional records at a regional powerlifting championships, earning her selection for the British finals in the process.

A newcomer to the sport after starting it in October, she set the British Powerlifting Cumbrian Championships alight with record breaking lifts in both the bench press and deadlift in the masters 72kg category.

Her lift of 135kg in the deadlift smashed the previous best weight, while she also impressed to press 65kg. The performances saw her to third place overall in the category for 40 to 49-year-olds, seeing her to the final of the British Championships in March.

She said: “I only started in October, but it’s one of those things where you see how far you can go.

“I had always wanted to do weightlifting because I can’t run to save my life and I don’t like any other sport, and I’ve always wanted a muscular physique and to be good at something.

“My first competition was a bodybuilding one but it wasn’t my bag, and I just didn’t get that buzz with it.

“But I did with powerlifting and I went to Cumbria knowing I’d get the deadlift record as I had lifted heavier in the past.

“I didn’t think I’d get the bench press, but I was encouraged along and I went for it.

“I’m highly competitive so was looking to see the lifts from previous years and what I needed to try to beat.

“I’m looking forward to a few competitions coming up and the British final is going to be awesome. I would love to represent Great Britain, but I need to go through a selection process at a couple of competitions first.”