AN awe-inspiring power lifter with Down Syndrome is set to travel the world as he gets ready to defend his world titles in the sport.

Dan McGauley, 31, will visit Denmark to defend his world powerlifting title, then travel to Auckland just two days later to defend his Commonwealth title.

Dan, who is from Colchester, was born with a heart defect and underwent two rounds of open surgery when he was aged four months and two years.

He was temporarily wheelchair-bound and first got into powerlifting ten years ago when he visited the gym to lose weight.

And Dan has defied all the odds to become a champion powerlifter.  

On November 16, Dan will land in Denmark, competing in the free lifting competition on November 18, to defend his world champion title for the up to 59kg weight category, which he secured in Dubai before the pandemic.

Dan will be competing in squat, bench lift and dead lift. On the day, he is hoping to squat 125kg, he is training to bench 90kg and dead lift 117.5kg.

On November 20, Dan will return to England, then fly around the world to Auckland on November 22.

Dan’s mum said they had wanted him to go onto the treadmill originally, however once entering the gym, he just wanted to do weights.

A coach then offered to train Dan, who instantly took to it, finding the gym to be a safe space.

On her son’s efforts, Dan’s mum, Judith, said: “He’s had a few setbacks, losing his dad last year.

“It was a lot for him to cope with that, every now and again he gets upset his dad isn’t there to watch him.

“He just trains so hard, whereas an able-bodied person would train less, Dan has to train every day.

"He loves what he does, and he is so happy, it’s a lifeline for him.”

Dan’s powerlifting has even inspired mum Judith to take up the sport.

Judith has since won gold medals in her age category at the last Commonwealth Games in Canada and South Africa.