The Irish Powerlifting Federation does not condone, endorse, or defend discrimination of any kind including, but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of Race or Religion.

We recognise that everybody is entitled to hold their own personal beliefs. However, those beliefs must never interfere with treating our Members and Lifters fairly, with dignity, and without discrimination of any description.

The personal beliefs of any Irish Powerlifting Federation official do not automatically represent those of the Federation itself nor may they be attributed to the Federation.

Our Federation, governed by our Members, has always placed the Lifter at the centre of everything that we do and our commitment to our Lifters is unwavering.

At our most recent Annual General Meeting, we embodied this commitment to equality and equity in a small but symbolic fashion where we voted to mandate that Male lifters must wear t-shirts during the Deadlift for as long as International Powerlifting Federation rules require Female lifters to wear a t-shirt during deadlifting.

National Team Head Coach Jay Farrant

Jay Farrant has been the National Team Head Coach for the Irish Powerlifting Federation since March 2016. This is a completely voluntary role and has required considerable sacrifice from Jay in terms of time away from family, time away from his full-time employment, and his own financial resources.

Jay has represented Ireland, and the Irish Powerlifting Federation, at the following events during his tenure as National Team Head Coach:

• IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships 2016 (Killeen, TX, USA)
• EPF European Classic Powerlifting Championships 2017 (Thisted, Denmark)
• IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships 2017 (Minsk, Belarus)
• EPF European Classic Masters Powerlifting Championships 2018 (Helsingborg, Sweden)
• IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships 2018 (Calgary, AB, Canada)
• IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships 2018 (Calgary, AB, Canada)

He is currently overseeing selection and training for the EPF Western European Classic Powerlifting Championships 2018 (Hamar, Norway) and the EPF European Classic Open, Junior, & Sub-Junior Powerlifting Championships 2018 (Kaunas, Lithuania).

During his tenure as National Team Head Coach, Irish lifters have secured multiple podium finishes in the disciplines and the total as well as numerous European and World Records.

Jay has lead the selection for each of these Championships and it is worth noting that the Irish team has had more female (45) than male (39) lifters overall despite the fact there is an extra weight class for male lifters.

Further, these selections have included lifters and coaches from a diverse array of racial and religious backgrounds. Our selection process, which Jay helped to design, is explicitly designed to be fair, transparent, objective, and without discrimination.

At no time, whilst on official Irish Powerlifting Federation business, has Jay ever discriminated against or treated differently, any athlete, coach, official, or member of the public on the basis of their Gender, Civil status, Family status, Sexual orientation, Religion, Age, Disability, Race, or Membership of the Traveller community.

At no time, up to and including the publication of this statement, has any Irish Powerlifting Federation member or official ever made a formal or informal complaint against Jay Farrant for any reason.

Jay Farrant has the full support and backing of the Irish Powerlifting Federation’s Executive and Operating Committees.

Athlete Safety Team

Should any member of the Irish Powerlifting Federation ever feel threatened, discriminated against, or otherwise made feel like their safety or the safety of their peers has been put at risk by anybody involved in the Federation, they can contact the Irish Powerlifting Federation’s Athlete Safety Team confidentially via email: AthleteSafetyTeam@irishpowerliftingfederation.com

The Athlete Safety Team is a completely confidential panel comprised of three members of the Irish Powerlifting Federation’s Committees and they are committed to ensuring any complaints are investigated thoroughly and the appropriate action is recommended to the Irish Powerlifting Federation’s Executive Committee.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Training

In order to ensure we are better placed to serve the Irish Powerlifting Federations’ membership, we are mandating that all members of the Irish Powerlifting Federation’s Executive and Operating Committees, as well as all International Coaches, receive Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Training before the end of 2018.

Members of the Irish Powerlifting Federation’s Executive and Operating Committees will also be required to undergo Unconscious Bias training before the end of 2018.