Deborah Alawode, Gold Elite Athlete on the TeamUCL High Performance Programme, has secured selection for Team England and will be competing in the 76kg Weightlifting class at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer!

Debbie has been top of the pile in her weight category for the past 15 months, broken numerous British records, and led the way in British Championships over the last 4 years. She was able to hold off strong competition during the England Commonwealth Trial on 24 April and secure her selection for Team England. Preparations for the Commonwealth Games start in June where Debbie will represent Team England in Albania, aiming to be crowned European Champion.

Debbie is currently studying MBPhD in Medicine (2016-2025) and has recently been selected for Team England at the Commonwealth Games.

During her time at UCL, Debbie has been a dedicated member to the UCL Barbell Club, developing from a promising star on the rise to an established elite athlete in British sport. This year alone she won gold in her weight class at BUCS and smashed the British Senior -81kg Record. This totals her BUCS Gold medal count to 3!

It comes as no surprise then that Debbie is one of our Gold Student-Athletes on the TeamUCL Elite Athlete Programme. Our programme is designed to support UCL students competing at the highest level of sport, especially with aspirations of achieving National or International success, all whilst undertaking their studies. You can see her profile here!

You can catch Debbie competing at the Commonwealth Games in the Women’s 76kg category on Tuesday 2 August at 9:30 and if you wish to see her take the Commonwealth stage by storm in person, tickets will be available to buy on the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games website. From everyone here at TeamUCL, we wish you the best of luck and we will be behind you all the way!