Champion powerlifter, strength and performance coach… and mom-to-be – Lil Bianchi is excited to be stepping into a new season.
When we arrived at Lil’s beautiful Umhlanga home, we expected to meet a powerhouse. What we didn’t expect was to leave feeling like we’d caught up with an old friend. Warm, down-to-earth, and refreshingly candid, Lil is proof that strength is about so much more than lifting heavy weights. It’s about cultivating mental resilience, embracing challenges and pushing through the limits we set for ourselves.
Born in Rustenburg, Lil spent time in Hilton and Cape Town before settling in Umhlanga in 2009. “I don’t think I can live anywhere else in the world. I love that we’re in a small town in a big city,” she says.
Lil discovered powerlifting by accident. She started her career in hospitality, following in her parents’ footsteps, but the demanding industry led her down a path of unhealthy habits. “I came from a lot of bad decisions and bad habits, and I knew that I needed to turn my life around. I was active and involved in sports when I was at school. I played hockey and athletics provincially, and I knew I needed to turn my life around through sport.”
At the gym, she found herself drawn to strength training. “I became so obsessive over human performance and what the body was able to do.” One day, a man watching her train encouraged her to enter a powerlifting competition. “I had no idea what I was doing, but I thought, why not?” That moment changed everything.
Strength beyond the gym
Now a world champion powerlifter – she holds 48 national records, 19 world records and 6 European records – Lil is passionate about helping others build both physical and mental resilience. “Powerlifting saved my life. It shifted my focus. It built my mental strength and confidence.”
For Lil, strength training is about far more than aesthetics – it’s about mental well-being. “Powerlifting is for people who are accustomed to a struggle,” she explains. “It helped me handle my divorce better. It helped me handle going through covid and transforming my business. I feel like if I didn’t have the mental strength to do those things,
I would have absolutely collapsed.”
She sees the same transformation in her clients. “Once you’ve sustained a major injury in sports, you get this block and you’re scared. I help them build their confidence again in their own bodies, and to see what their body’s capable of.” Whether it’s elite athletes recovering from injuries or everyday people overcoming their own challenges, Lil helps them reclaim their strength – inside and out.
Lil is also determined to break the stereotype that powerlifting is reserved for men or that it’s too intense for women. “Women are often intimidated by strength training or think that it will make them bulky, but that’s not the case,” she explains.
A new chapter begins
After a decade of dedicating herself to her sport, Lil is now stepping into an entirely new and unexpected phase of life – motherhood. “I was told by three doctors that I was infertile, so my pregnancy was totally unplanned.”
She’s excited to embrace what the future holds, and to continue sharing her expertise with others. “I’m going to communicate to a whole new audience now – women going through pregnancy and new moms. How to train through pregnancy; the mental side of it – I’m embracing every element.”
Finding balance
Outside of training, Lil loves spending time at home with her partner, his two sons, and their two dogs. “We love to host friends. We’re homebodies!”
As she prepares to welcome her baby, Lil is more excited than ever about the journey ahead. “I’m in a completely different place. I’m so excited about this new journey.”
And one thing is certain – whether she’s lifting weights or lifting a newborn, Lil Bianchi is stronger than ever.
Details: IG: @lil_bianchi_
Text: Jennifer Campbell Photographs: Pagiel Chetty
Makeup: Aldytha Da Silva Outfit: Milliditz
