Remarkable Roles: The optometrist with a passion for weightlifting

Ever felt the urge to lift an awkward patient, or persistent journalist, above your head and escort them from the practice?

Manchester-based optometrist Helen Cartwright must show more restraint than most, and this is not because she lacks tolerance – far from it.

Cartwright, who competes under her married name of Helen Fore, is a masters championship weightlifter able to raise around 500 copies of Optician journal from the floor, into a crouching position and then up above her head.

She welcomed Optician to her training gym in Stockport, Greater Manchester to explain how she became involved in weightlifting, and manages to dovetail training commitments with running a busy independent optical practice. She is later kind enough to coach Optician through doing a legitimate, albeit featherweight, lift.