Go back five-to-10 years and the focus of Adrian Carey's sporting endeavours was cricket.
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As a spin bowler he loved to think about the technique and skill execution needed in the game and spent plenty of time perfecting aspects like his action and wrist position.
The role of a weightlifting coach might seem a million miles away from that but for Carey there's plenty of similarities.
Weightlifting has become a huge part of Carey's life in recent years and after honing his craft he's now president of the Dubbo Barbell Club and an Olympic-level coach.
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The club has been steadily growing and on July 2 it will host its Olympic Lifting competition in the hope of showcasing the sport to more people around Dubbo and the wider region.
"It was a way to gather people together and motivate each other and create a bit of a environment for people who understand what weightlifting it versus the people who just lift weights," Carey said of the club.
"It's grown. As I got more and more interested I did more and more coaching courses and got more information and now there's people learning about weightlifting.
"It's a way to get more people interested in weightlifting because I've found it's a really interesting and different sport, especially in competition.
"It's a good training method but I love the competitions. I love the people you meet."
The upcoming competition is open to anyone interested.
It will be run out of Crossfit Dubbo, where Carey is based and found his passion for weightlifting.
Lifting weights was used as a strength component of training but Carey soon found a connection to it and discovered it suited his body.
After starting a family, regular weekend sport for most of a day and midweek training became too much of a commitment for Carey but weightlifting was there to "scratch the competitive itch".
"Five or 10 years ago I had no idea about the sport, honestly," he said, before talking about the technical aspects.
"I gravitate to that. It's a strength sport but it's got such a technical reliance.
"Bowling leg spin, I was someone who really thought about positions and drift of the ball and, in a way, weightlifting ticks that same box in my mind.
"You've really got to be thinking technically and positionally as well as just going hard at it.
"I find the people who gravitate towards weightlifting are that way inclined as well. They're very analytical and they want to know why. It's really good for that sort of person."
Numbers for the Olympic Lifting event are already building and competitors from the likes of Sydney, Wagga, Tamworth, Bathurst and Mudgee are expected to be in attendance.
Carey is hopeful more locals will throw their hat in the ring and potentially discover a new passion like he did.
While he competes regularly himself, being club president and coach has allowed to help others develop and that's become one of the most rewarding aspects.
"The guys who have been doing it consistently for a little while, seeing their technique improve and their confidence improve is probably the biggest thing for me," he said.
"I never thought I'd be a coaching-type person but it's so enjoyable and it's even more fun to see someone hit a milestone they've been working towards. It's better than doing one myself."
Entry for the July 1 competition is $35. Anyone interested can contact the Dubbo Barbell Club on Facebook or Instagram.
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