Paris 2024 Paralympics | Para powerlifting: Lifting More Than Weight: Liam McGarry’s Journey of Strength and Resilience

On the final day of the Paralympic Games, Para powerlifter Liam McGarry of Team Great Britain took to the stage at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena for the men's over 107kg final. However, unlike many competitors who were chasing medals, winning wasn’t McGarry’s primary goal. In fact, it was only a couple of weeks ago that he managed to start a consistent training regime that allowed him to compete.

Liam, a former professional footballer, was 21 when he lost all feeling in his legs. Since then, he has retrained as a weightlifter, with these Games being his first. The past seven years have been incredibly challenging for the Dartford athlete, let alone the last seven weeks.

Reflecting on his preparation for the Paris 2024 Games, McGarry noted that his journey was quite different from most athletes at his level.

"I had 31 surgeries this cycle, and at so many points, I didn’t think I was going to be here. So, some things are bigger than medals to me," he said.

Despite the surgeries and the obstacles that came with them, making it to the Paralympics represented more than just overcoming physical pain for McGarry. When he was initially told that he's never walk again, which meant he had to give up his sports career; he told his parents he no longer wanted to live. However, his journey of recovery and growth was supported by many, for which he remains deeply grateful.

On Sunday, that journey felt extra special.

“To have that moment at my first lift with the same people who sat next to my hospital bed seven years ago – when the only way I could see my life going was with me ending it – is indescribable. No medal could have beaten the feeling I had out there today, and I’m over the moon,” he said.

Two weeks before the final qualifier, Liam was told he wasn't going to compete. Despite his injuries, and multiple surgeries – including very recent pectoral surgeries – he was adamant to show up for himself and live this moment. He has thought about this fact a lot this past week, and took this to the bench with him for every lift.

"You can't beat these moments. People only recognise the winners, but you've gotta keep the perspective that seven years ago, I didn't even want to live my life. And now I've just had that moment that will live with me for the rest of my life, and I've sat in my room this week imagining that and just crying." he said.

Liam understands the emotional toll that powerlifting—and his unique circumstances—can take on him. But he is driven by a deeper sense of purpose, grounded in resilience and perspective. Reflecting on his journey, he said:

“Nothing, nothing is going to be more overwhelming and harder, and test me more than what I went through and what I’ve gone through in this cycle. In 2022, I had 16 surgeries in 21 days. This is easy. This is what I live for. This is what I fight for."

For him, the biggest challenge has been the lack of consistency in his training due to his health struggles. He continued:

"I’ve had to pick and choose times when I can be good because my circumstances, my body, my injuries, my health, they haven’t allowed me to have any sort of consistency in my process. So I’ve had to hang in and fight a lot. All we live by is ‘the impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.’ That attitude is what I carry through life."

These words are a reflection his unyielding resolve, as he further explained that, in comparison to the battles he has already faced, nothing on the platform intimidates him.

"That’s not scary to me. I’m on top of the world out there. Nothing’s harder than what I’ve already been through, and nothing scares me. I get emotional and upbeat because this means more to me than anything ever has in my life. This is my second chance, and it’s given me something to fight for and to live for. I could never put into words what that means to me."

Liam's sport of powerlifting can often be perceived as driven by ego—the pursuit of lifting more weight than the last competitor, or even surpassing your own previous records. But for Liam, there’s no ego in his journey.

"I'm a Dartford boy. We can't have egos. And one more, I'm a West Ham supporter," he jokes. "I have to be of that no-nonsense attitude to keep my head up and not drown in the pressures and challenges that life presents me with."

Despite his lighthearted remarks, Liam is grounded in what matters most. With a chuckle, he added that perhaps he’ll pick up an ego if he wins a medal in four years times at the Games in Los Angeles, but he’s crystal clear about the values that truly guide him.

"You can have all the medals in the world. You can be the most talented, but I think the measure of a man or a woman is how you treat people and how you build those relationships. And I don’t always get it right, but I’ll give it 100% and a pure heart."

For Liam, success is about more than personal achievement; it’s about resilience, humility, and how you connect with others along the way.

He noted that in these past twelve weeks, he has only had ten training sessions. But physical strength isn't the only thing that kept Liam going as he pushed for a 228kg lift.

"The National Lottery allows us to work with psychologists and allows us to have psychologists on demand as and when we need them. Funding from the National Lottery allows me to work with them on a consistent basis, so we can build up that repertoire where they know me inside out." he opened up.

“Used to being on the back foot,” Liam is acutely aware of what it has taken to get him to where he is today. While he is proud of his own perseverance, he never forgets those who couldn't be a part of this journey, paying tribute to them in the best way he knows how.

“I salute the people that I’ve lost along the way," he reflected. "When I was 13, my best friend passed away, and I’ve always said that when I had my spinal cord injury, that was my second chance at life—one he never got. So, when I’m going out for a fight, I say four names: my nan, my mate Kay, my Auntie Jenny, my Auntie Ange. Then I tell myself, ‘This is who you’re here for,’ and let out a big scream, a big roar, and then I get to work."

For McGarry, his reason for competing runs far deeper than the competition itself. He added, "I’m sitting here at the Paralympics, but my reason why? I never, ever forget. That helps keep me grounded. I’ve lost some incredible people along the way, and they’re the ones I want to see in the crowd when I stand on that platform. Since I can’t, I honor them by carrying them in my head, knowing they’re lifting that bar with me."

Liam has earned a well-deserved break and is looking forward to some downtime in the coming weeks.

"I have a couple of holidays planned and I need a break. I’ve had so many surgeries and injuries, my body’s hanging on by a thread,” he laughed. “I agreed with my boss, ‘Let me go on holiday after this!’”

After his time off, Liam has his eyes set on the future, aiming to build momentum in his sport.

“Hopefully, I can put together a consistent year and start showing the potential and making the name I know I can in this sport. And I’m going to do that with absolute honesty and integrity. Next year, it’s the World Championships, and by the end of the year, I’ll come out fighting. You’ll see some considerable kilos added to the 228 I lifted today." he concluded.