BIG INTERVIEW: Tipperary's John Slattery on breaking the Irish bench press record
From Dundrum to the world stage, John Slattery's remarkable journey in the sport of powerlifting
When Tipperary native John Slattery walked onto the platform at the World Bench Press Championships in Warsaw back in May of this year, there was no sense of panic or nerves. Four international appearances for his country had prepared him for moments like this.
"I felt comfortable in what I was doing because it was my fourth international," he said. "I went in with a game plan that went off without a hitch."
The 36-year-old, who is originally from Dundrum and now lives in Kilkenny, delivered the best performance of his career on the world stage. Representing Ireland at the World Bench Press Championship 2026, Slattery finished sixth in the 120kg-plus category after successfully lifting a monumental 237.5kg weight.
The lift did more than secure a top-six finish. It also saw him break the Irish all-time bench press record in his category for the second time in succession. The previous record had been held by Irish powerlifter Barry Piggott.
Now John Slattery is preparing for another major challenge as he looks ahead to his fifth international cap for Ireland at the IPF European Bench Championship in Lithuania during the first week of August.
It is another milestone in what has been a remarkable rise for someone who only discovered powerlifting in his late twenties. The Tipperary Star caught up with John as he looks ahead to his next competition and to learn about his rise in the sport of powerlifting.
Sport has always been part of Slattery's life. Growing up in Tipperary, he played Gaelic games before spending many years playing rugby with Kilfeakle. "I kept up the sport until college, especially rugby, but I was starting to pick up a couple of knocks and injuries."
Looking for another way to stay active, he joined Tailor Made Health and Fitness after moving to Cashel in 2018.
It was there that a conversation with gym owner Gavin Butler changed the direction of his sporting ambitions. "I had never really heard of powerlifting until Gavin started talking about it," Slattery recalled. "I just told him what my lifts were and he got me started in powerlifting. He got me prepared for my first competition in Limerick in April 2019."
What started as curiosity quickly became an obsession. "The great thing about the sport is that you are always looking at numbers," he said. "You are constantly pushing those numbers up. There is always a carrot at the end of the stick. There is never not something you can do better. That is what drew me to the sport."
His progress was not straightforward. After his first competition in 2019, Slattery suffered injuries before the Covid-19 pandemic halted competition altogether. "My first competition was back in 2019. Once I got that competition done I picked up some silly injuries early on. Then Covid came around, so I did nothing for two years competition wise."
Despite the lack of competition, he continued training throughout that period. When he returned to competition in 2021, he had built two years of experience and quickly established himself among the country's leading lifters.
Around that time he also began working with coach Shannon Pollock, who has remained by his side for the past six years. "She was the one who took me from novice level lifter to the intermediate stage," he said.
Initially Slattery competed in full powerlifting, taking part in the squat, bench press and deadlift. That changed in 2023 when the Irish Powerlifting Federation introduced a national bench press championship. "I ended up winning that first event as well," he said. "It was the first ever bench nationals in our country. That was when things really started pushing on. From 2023 I was pretty much in the bench-only sphere."
Representing Ireland is something Slattery admits he never imagined would happen. "It is absolutely something that I never thought would be possible, when I started in my late twenties, I did not even think this was an avenue to pursue."
His first international competition came in Istanbul in August 2024. "It was a bit surreal because I couldn't comprehend that I was there representing my country, to share a platform with some of the strongest athletes in Europe was something special."
Since then, international competition has become familiar, but a humble privilege to represent his country, "I am still pinching myself. I can't put it into words how grateful I am that I am in this position in my mid-thirties representing Ireland on the biggest stage of my sport."
Barry Piggott's Irish record had long been the benchmark for Slattery. "There was Barry Piggott in Ireland. He held the all-time bench press record for a long time and broke the world record back in 2019, I suppose his record and number motivated me."
Just weeks before travelling to Poland, Slattery finally surpassed that long-standing mark by lifting 231kg at the Irish Bench Press Championships. Ten weeks later he improved it again on the world stage. "I had broken Barry Piggott's record at the previous bench nationals by half a kilo." "So in that middle attempt at the World Championships I broke it again."
His final lift left him with an unusual feeling. "My third attempt was let's see where we are at on this one. It moved easier than I expected,” he said. "It is hard to describe when you are lifting something like that and it moves easily and doesn't feel like the weight it should feel like."
Unlike some competitors who isolate themselves before stepping onto the platform, Slattery prefers to stay relaxed. "You are backstage warming up with everyone. I am very much laid back."
"I try to enjoy the moment and take it all in." He says experience has taught him the importance of controlling adrenaline. "When I walk up to a lift I try and remain calm and collected, I still remember my first competition where I was over-amped for everything and I was a puddle by the end of the day because I wasn't able to manage my adrenaline."
There has been little time to celebrate his latest record. Attention has already turned to Lithuania, where he hopes to continue his progress at the European Championships.
"It is a tough one because it was quite a short turnaround between two international competitions, if I can equal my performance at Worlds it would be a very good day."
Like every top class athlete, John still has one eye on pushing himself to the limit even further. "If I can reach 240kg that would be insane, but I am going to take it lift by lift."
The margins at the highest level remain incredibly small. "There is only about seven and a half kilos separating the top 10 nominated lifters in my weight class, it could be a case that I am going for a medal or I finish outside the top 10, it is very exciting to be competing at that level where everybody is so closely matched."
John now trains three times each week, having reduced his sessions from four. "I found that helped my recovery because as you get older it takes a little bit longer to recover."
With his full focus now on bench press, each session has a specific purpose. Mondays are dedicated to higher-volume bench variations, Wednesdays focus on technique, while the final session of the week centres on heavy single lifts in preparation for competition. “My coach and I are really putting in the work on technique and I want to bench like a guy who is much lighter than myself."
Nutrition has also become an important part of his preparation. After working with a nutritionist, he reduced his body weight by 20kg before rebuilding muscle. Today he eats anywhere between 4,500 and 5,000 calories each day. "I don't use any protein powders at all, I just eat chicken, red meat, cereals and carbohydrates, I eat the same as everyone else, just more of it, he says." Creatine is the only supplement he regularly takes for his recovery and he claims it also has been great for his brain power and mental clarity.
Away from the platform, John works as a Designer with National Broadband Ireland and recently completed a Master's degree in Data Analytics.
Like many Irish athletes, he also self funds his sporting career himself. "I just save up and plan ahead, sponsorships are very rare." He trains in a friend's home gym, and is also a member of ABS Powerlifting in Dublin.
As membership officer with the Irish Powerlifting Federation, he is keen to encourage more people to give the sport of powerlifting a try. "It is a very welcoming community, there are different age classes as well, so you can get into the sport at any age."
For now, his focus is firmly on Lithuania and another chance to represent Ireland on an international stage. Beyond that, there is an even bigger ambition, "I have a lifetime goal of going for a quarter tonne on the bench, so 250kg, I don't plan on stopping any time soon. I am in it for the long haul."
There is a quiet confidence and humbleness about John Slattery that matches his approach on the platform. Never one to get carried away by records or rankings, he simply focuses on the next lift.
That mindset has taken him from a chance introduction to powerlifting in a Cashel gym to representing Ireland on the world stage. Now, with Lithuania looming and 250kg still in his sights, he is proving that the biggest achievements often belong to those willing to keep showing up. In his own words: "You don't have to be the best. You just have to outlast them."