Ashley Dyce

Started: She initially competed in Para athletics in throwing events, before beginning Para powerlifting in 2016. She competed in both sports before choosing to focus solely on powerlifting in 2017. (teamusa.org, 16 Jul 2020; Athlete, 01 Jun 2019; paraashlete.com, 08 Jun 2017) Reason: She was inspired to take up Para sport by watching the 2012 Paralympic Games in London and was introduced to Para athletics after attending a sports camp. "As soon as I started throwing the discus I was like, 'Wow, I love this'. It felt natural. I did discus, shot put and javelin. Javelin wasn't my favourite, but it was my best sport." Having missed out on the US athletics team for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she became interested in Para powerlifting after seeing an advert on social media. "I wanted to challenge myself in a new way and to see how strong I really am." (teamusa.org, 16 Jul 2020; Athlete, 01 Jun 2019) Ambition: To compete at the Paralympic Games. (usparapowerlifting.org, 01 Nov 2023) Additional Info: INJURY BREAK An injury kept her out of competition between July 2022 and late 2023. She returned for the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. "For me, it's just more mentally building back that confidence of getting back on that stage and competing and being there with my teammates. My body still remembers everything. That muscle memory kicks right back in. Once I get back on that bench, it's like I haven't left it for too long. Everything just clicks right away." (usparapowerlifting.org, 01 Nov 2023)