Christina Ullman poses with her awards following the 2023 World Powerlifting Alliance World Championship with WPA president Vadym Kotsaga, meet director Mark Duckworth, and American Powerlifting Association president Jim Ford. (Courtesy photo)

Her social media post read, “Bringing home the hardware.”

Christina Ullman of Graysville, Ohio, certainly did that and more: She brought home a third World Powerlifting Alliance’s Women’s World Championship.

Lifters from the United States, Finland and Ukraine competed in the annual WPA event held at Blue Springs Gym in Blue Springs, Missouri on July 15 and 16.

Ullman competed in the full power, bench press only, deadlift only, and push-pull divisions at the event, winning seven first place medals as well as the overall top drug-tested female award.

“I came to this sport from competing in endurance sports–marathons, half-marathons, and half-Ironman races,” says Ullman, who has been competing in powerlifting for a little over three years. “That background taught me things that have been critical in my success as a powerlifter: consistency with training, patience with progress, and mental resilience.”

Christina Ullman competed in full power division, consisting of squat, bench press and deadlift at the 2023 WPA World Championship. (Courtesy photo)

Ullman is currently ranked third all-time in the world powerlifting rankings among all tested lifters in her age group and weight class. At age 52, she has set 26 World, 23 American and 74 Ohio records in across three powerlifting federations.

But getting to this point has not been easy.

“When I first started powerlifting, I was coming off of a knee injury. I was very cautious because I didn’t know if my body could handle lifting heavy,” admits Ullman. “I started at ground zero with this sport which meant spending a lot of time practicing proper mechanics.”

Ullman says the encouragement and support of her gym community at Wolfepack Gym in Marietta, Ohio, has contributed to her success.

“It is something special to be part of a gym where people truly want you to be your best self,” said Ullman. “My success is a reflection of that mentality and environment.”

Christina Ullman won seven first place medals and best overall female lifter at the 2023 WPA World Championship. (Courtesy photo)

Competing in powerlifting meets has allowed Ullman to establish connections with other lifters around the world.

“I have been fortunate enough to compete at a national and an international level where I have met lifters from many other states and other countries such as Canada, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.”

Ullman’s next meet will have her competing on the international stage again at the International Powerlifting League’s Drug-Test World Championship in Coventry, England, on October 20.

“I have a goal overall total that I am shooting for in October. It’s going to mean training hard for the next few months,” says Ullman. “It’s a good thing I like putting in the work.”

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Christina Biedenbach Ullman, a 1989 graduate of Skyvue High School, is the owner of Ullman Design, a graphic design and illustration studio in Marietta, Ohio. She is a former faculty member in the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University and former chair of the art department at Marietta College. She lives in Graysville, Ohio, with her husband Keith Ullman. They are the parents of two sons, Michael, of Bowling Green, Ohio, and Jonathan, of Nashville, Tenn.