Strabane’s Nicole breaks Irish record not once but thrice!

STRABANE native Nicole McMillan is riding the crest of a wave at present, having broken the Irish Axle Press record not once, but three times recently, including twice in one day! Nicole first broke the women’s Axle Press record a month previously and she feels that effort has ‘set the tone’ for the rest of her year.

“I first broke the Irish Axle Press record in competition at Ireland’s Strongest Woman in March with a lift of 90kg,” she beamed. “It was a huge moment for me and really set the tone for my season. Since then, I’ve maintained that record and continued to push the number higher. I’m aiming to go even further this year, given the opportunity.”

Her most recent success came at the Official Strongman Games Record Breakers event at Savage Strength in Derry where she opened with a strong 92.5kg effort to extend her existing mark before pushing the bar, literally, even higher, with a 95kg effort that didn’t go quite as smoothly as her earlier efforts.

“It felt light but I threw the bar out too far and had to recatch and stabilise mid-air. I still locked it out and got the down command,” she explained.

“I’m absolutely buzzing with how [the event] went. The 95kg lift didn’t start how I’d planned — even though it felt light, my timing was off with the dip and push press.

“But I composed myself, trusted my training, and got it up and locked out solidly to get the down command. It was as much a mental battle as it was physical, and that’s what made it so satisfying. Once I had the bar in my hands, I just focused and committed to it.

“All the hard work — from the countless technical drills to the heavy sets in training — really paid off. Axle feels second nature to me now; like riding a bike, it’s engraved in my brain.”

Nicole’s now turning her attentions to continental glory with the aim of building on a ‘solid’ start to the year with a top 10 finish at Europe’s Strongest Woman.

“It’s been a solid year so far. I’ve consistently placed in the top three at major competitions, held onto my Irish Axle Press record, and continued to improve across all my events,” she added.

“This is a big year — I’m aiming for a top 10 finish at Europe’s Strongest Woman. I’m also planning to re-break my own axle record and hit a 230kg deadlift by the end of the year, or thereabouts. It’s all about pushing boundaries now and staying consistent. Just head down, hard graft, and showing up every day.

“Every competition has been a learning curve, and I’m proud of how I’ve balanced elite-level training with a full-time nursing career. It’s been busy — but brilliant.”

Nicole wishes to thank her coaches Dave Warner and Michael McMillan, her nutrition coach Dave Crosland and her sponsors, Scottish Nursing Guild, for all their support.