Well known powerlifter Sumeet Sharma wants to encourage people in the South Asian community to donate to front line workers and teachers and he is doing so by example. Sharma took all of the funds that his sponsors gave him to go to Czech Republic in May (the trip was canceled due to Covid-19) and has used them to purchase food supplies and donate to healthcare workers and teachers. 

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

SURREY - Well known powerlifter Sumeet Sharma wants to encourage people in the South Asian community to donate to front line workers and teachers and he is doing so by example. 

Sharma took all of the funds that his sponsors gave him to go to Czech Republic in May (the trip was canceled due to Covid-19) and has used them to purchase food supplies and donate to healthcare workers and teachers. 

“My sponsors and I have decided to give food supplies to health care workers for all the hard work that they have been doing, our goal was to go to all of the hospitals in the lower mainland,” Sharma told DESIBUZZCanada. “My sponsors are Raga Restaurant, one of the oldest Indian restaurants in Vancouver, and Supplementking.

Sharma has personally gone to VGH, Richmond, Langley and Abbotsford hospitals as well St. Paul’s hospital and Mount Joseph hospital and he said he and his team will continue to go to a local hospital each week.

Sharma and his sponsors have also been going to local schools and donating food supplies to teachers. 

“We have gone to schools in Burnaby, Richmond, and will be going to more schools in the lower mainland. We will be going to more schools in the coming weeks. I’m hoping once citizens hear my story, they will donate things to healthcare workers and thank them for all they are doing for our community,” Sharma said.

Sharma won gold medal for Team Canada in Powerlifting at the North American Powerlifting Championships in Panama City last October. Recently, he competed in Winnipeg at Nationals, which is the biggest powerlifting event in Canada and won gold in bench press in the 93 kg weight class. 

For all his accomplishments, he has been selected to be part of team Canada to compete at the World powerlifting championship in Russia in October. 

Sharma, who has been competing in powerlifting since 2016, has accumulated an impressive resume. In addition to his latest win,  hewon gold in both 2017 and 2018 at the Western Powerlifting Championships. 

From these successes he was chosen to represent Canada at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship in Newfoundland earlier this year where he walked away with silver in Bench Press. 

Sharma has also been selected to represent team Canada at the Worlds powerlifting championship in Khazistan this fall. This event is the biggest powerlifting event in the world. 

Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on any of three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. I pulled off this gold medal win in bench press with an impressive 370 pounds for Canada.