She may be able to lift the equivalent weight of two large men, but Monica Porter is all woman. KATE THOMPSON finds out more

IF YOU passed Monica Porter in the street you would have no idea of the hidden strength she has in her body.

In her civvies she looks like any other fit female - but Monica, 35, is the British powerlifting champion in her class and is awesomely strong.

She can lift 35 stone - the equivalent of two very well built men - and, while she is proud of her achievement, she works hard to retain her femininity.

"I always wear make-up when I compete. I like to think I am a fit female and not some sort of freak.

"I can lift heavier things than most people but I still like to be treated like a lady.

"I like doors to be opened for me and blokes to carry the bags," she said.

Being at the top of her sport requires dedication and Monica trains four times a week.

She has the full support of her husband John, 35. He is a powerlifter, too, and fully understands what Monica must do to achieve the best results.

"He is really supportive and helps with my training. We met on the way to Luxembourg to take part in an international competition and we married in March, 2000," she said.

Boyfriends in the past have not always been aware of the power that lurks in her formidable frame.

"My sport has always come first - I was doing athletics before I started dating.

"I don't want to emasculate a bloke but if he had a problem with what I do, I would get rid of the guy," she said.

She trains at the Calmore Community Centre and recently she saw a man laughing at her as she struggled into the clothing and strapping she must wear to lift the weights.

"It does look funny when you are getting ready. But when he saw how much I had on the bar, he soon stopped laughing," she said.

Monica, who works as a visiting officer for Southampton Social Security, originally trained as a sprinter but an Achilles tendon injury forced her to re-think her athletic career.

"After the injury I couldn't run any more. I was going to the gym a lot and doing aerobic training.

"It was then I started lifting heavier weights and then it was suggested that I take up powerlifting," she said.

But it hasn't always been plain-sailing for Monica. When she was just building her reputation in the sport, disaster struck.

"The bar was at 185kg and as I went to lift it I heard a cracking sound and both my arms went forward.

"It turned out I had broken both my humerus bones at the top of my arms," she said.

One arm bears the scars of the metal pin that had to be inserted, while the other was left in a brace.

It took months of physiotherapy to get back to fitness but now she is back and better than ever.

"If I look after myself I could still be doing this in my 40s and 50s," she said.