After joining a gym to boost his confidence, nine-year-old Jackson Mackay from the Sunshine Coast is aiming for a second world record deadlift title, just 18 months after he first started weightlifting. In January, Jackson claimed a world record with an 80-kilogram deadlift, surpassing the previous record of 72 kilograms.
“I can’t believe I just beat a world record. That’s insane, I never thought it would come to this,” Jackson expressed with excitement. Kids World Records verified footage of the lift and awarded him the Heaviest Deadlift Title in its boys’ 7-9-year-old category.
A Sudden Passion for Weightlifting
The young athlete from Twin Waters shared that his desire to achieve a weightlifting goal was initially sudden. “I just woke up and… because I was at the gym, I’m like, ‘Well, gyms are for weights, so I’m gonna break a world record,'” Jackson said. He dedicated three hours a week to training over 18 months, initially using a hex bar designed to build core stability before claiming the record with a standard straight bar.
For Jackson, achieving his goal was an emotional moment. “[My parents were] jumping up and down in excitement and, like, impressed and… my mum even cried,” he recalled.
Family Support and Emotional Milestones
Jackson’s mother, Cara Mackay, expressed her disbelief and pride in her son’s accomplishment. “He’d set this goal a year before, and he wrote out on a piece of paper what he wanted to achieve in the next 10 years, and seeing him actually achieve that was just amazing,” Ms. Mackay said.
Strength and conditioning coach Joshua Hodges, who has been training Jackson since October 2024, described the moment as “really special” and admitted he was “a little bit emotional” himself. “Jackson just started to well up with joy and then Cara, seeing her son achieve that, started to [cry],” Mr. Hodges shared. “I was like, ‘How cool is this?’ I get to be a part of this moment Jackson’s wanted to do for quite a while now.”
From Rugby League to Weightlifting
Initially drawn to weightlifting for its social aspect after dropping out of rugby league, Jackson found a new passion. “We sort of found that he was quite strong for his age, he was quite determined,” Mr. Hodges said. “He came to me just to help build that self-confidence back, really… he’s got back into team sports since being with us, so his confidence has grown.”
Jackson’s newfound confidence has also led him to set a new goal. “I might do the 10-year-old record for deadlift,” he stated with determination.
The Science Behind Youth Weightlifting
According to Dr. Daniel Van Den Hoek, a sports and exercise scientist at the University of the Sunshine Coast, supervised weightlifting is a beneficial option for children and adolescents. “We hear myths like resistance training stunts growth, and it damages growth plates, but those things, they’re just not true,” Dr. Van Den Hoek explained. “Resistance training is quite healthy as long as we make sure that it’s supervised and progressed correctly.”
“Resistance training is quite healthy as long as we make sure that it’s supervised and progressed correctly.” – Dr. Daniel Van Den Hoek
He noted that the benefits of weightlifting are similar to other exercises, including improved mental health, better performance at school, muscle growth, and injury reduction. Dr. Van Den Hoek also highlighted that Jackson’s involvement in other sports—rugby league, wakeboarding, and motocross—might have contributed to his gym success and vice versa.
“We see it at the elite levels of Australian sport… [athletes] that have grown up playing multiple sports, getting new skills, new knowledge about how their body moves and adapts that they then apply to each of those different sports.” – Dr. Daniel Van Den Hoek
As Jackson continues to pursue his passion for weightlifting, his journey serves as an inspiring example of how dedication and support can lead to remarkable achievements, even at a young age. With his eyes set on another record, the young athlete’s story is far from over.
