She's only been in the sport of Powerlifting for one year, but quadruple athlete Tui Katene (Ngāti Ruanui,Te Ati Awa) is certainly making her mark on the international stage. Katene has just won a bronze medal at the 2016 IPF World Powerlifting in Killeen, Texas.
She took up powerlifting to become stronger following a shoulder injury. She then competed at her first ever Powerlifting competition in Northland and won it. Since then, she has never looked back.
Up against seven-time world champion Priscilla Ribic, Katene competed in one of the hardest sections of the competition, the M1 Under 72kg class. She says "it was great to be able to jump on the same platform as Ribic."
"It's one of the hardest classes to compete in. The lifting is really high. Even the classes above us aren't lifting as much as us, so being in that class was a huge achievement for me...most of them have been doing the sport for 20 years plus. I'm still a rookie but most know who I am now," Katene adds.
To compete against the world's greatest powerlifters was an overwhelming experience for Katene.
Supporters watched her perform via live stream. Little did she know her talent was being broadcasted to an international audience. Her support base increased tenfold.
"People all over the world tuned in and were acknowledging me. It was pretty cool and I started to get a name for myself.
I had a lot of supporters back home. The reach on my Facebook page also reached 2000 on some of the posts. It was really good, the support from home and all over the world."
Last year in December, Katene competed in the Oceania Powerlifting event. There she won a bronze medal overall and a gold in the bench press section.
Katene has always been passionate about sports and has represented New Zealand in four different sports including Body Building, Rugby Sevens and Touch. She captained the New Zealand Women's Touch team for thirteen years.
Katene isn't taking a break just yet. She has her sights set on the National Championships in August and will compete at the Oceania event in December. Next year she hopes to travel to another international competition in Europe.
"It's not always cheap to go overseas to compete so I'm really grateful for the support I have received."