Weightlifter Michael Farmer lived up to his name by spending part of lockdown training in a barn – and is now hoping to make hay as weightlifting adjusts to the new normal.

The 21-year-old, from Caerphilly town, is preparing for a ‘virtual’ Welsh Open competition, with entrants competing via video link, as he looks to take the next steps towards his dream of competing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“It will be a bit odd but at least it’s something to work towards,” said Farmer, who has just begun a Masters in Environmental Management at Bangor University.

“That’s probably the way to go now until everything has calmed down and we can have bigger events.

“I was still in north Wales finishing my uni year when lockdown hit and luckily I knew someone who lived on a farm, so I could go and train there.”

The cancellation of this summer’s competitions meant Farmer was unable to build on a promising 2019, which saw him win a silver medal in the junior 67kg category at the Commonwealth Championships in Samoa.

He said: “It was the most amazing place – I’ve never seen anywhere like it.

“It was 35 degrees, 99% humidity, it was awful to train in. We were in old abandoned schools, no air-con, but the whole experience was brilliant. It felt so special to get my medal because of the conditions. It was a great moment.”

Farmer has now moved up to the 73kg category – a process that initially involved consuming 4,500 calories a day – and set personal bests in February before lockdown took hold.

And having sampled the joy of winning a medal in an international competition last year, he’s eager for more in Birmingham in 2022.

“As of next year, I need to be top six in the Commonwealth to go to the games, as that’s the policy Wales have,” Farmer said.

“The Games are a year after that and by then I’d like to be in contention for a medal.”

• GVC is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. As part of this three-year partnership, GVC are supporting a diverse group of 50 UK athletes per year from a variety of sports and para-sports. Visit gvc-plc.com to find out more.