Danielle Philibert
Danielle Philibert
IPF Open Classic World Championship
2024 - 84kg - Bronze
2022 - 84kg - Bronze
2021 - 84kg - 4th
2017 - 84kg - 6th
CPU Open Classic National Championship
2023 - 84kg - Silver
2022 - 84kg - Gold
2020 - 84kg - Gold
2019 - 84kg - Silver
2018 - 84kg - Silver
2017 - 84kg - Silver
Best Lifts
Classic Squat - 210kg
Classic Bench Press - 136.5kg
Classic Deadlift - 217.5kg
Classic Total - 561kg
Biography
I got into the sport of powerlifting kind of by accident in the fall of 2015. I was a year into my PhD and was looking for a fun activity to counteract all the time I spent hunched over a lab bench and decided to start going to the gym. I didn’t have a coach or a program to follow, I just watched random videos on YouTube and replicated the workouts. At the time I could only bench the bar but squats and deadlift seemed to come pretty easy. The random YouTube videos I watched eventually landed on some powerlifting content and I knew then that I wanted to give the sport a try, so I signed up for my first meet. I had no coach, no plan but had a ton of fun and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I originally started competing with the APU in Alberta, but in 2019 I moved to New Brunswick for work and now I compete under the NBPL. Most of my training is done in my basement home gym, and I’m currently coached by Bryce Krawczyk, owner of Calgary Barbell. We have been working together since fall 2018, and he has played an instrumental role in my success as an athlete and growth as a person.
My biggest accomplishments in the sport to date are winning a silver medal in the bench press at IPF Classic Worlds 2021, and winning a bronze medal in squat, a gold medal in bench press, and a bronze medal total at IPF Classic Worlds 2022, and winning a gold medal bench press and bronze medal total at IPF Classic Worlds 2024. My bronze medal performance in 2024 won me a spot at the World Games in 2025 which is something I never thought was possible for myself. I'm proud and beyond honoured for the opportunity to represent my country in the closest thing powerlifting has to the Olympics.
Outside of powerlifting, I have a PhD in Physiology, Cell, and Developmental Biology from the University of Alberta, and I work as an Associate Research Scientist in aquatic toxicology at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre. Currently my research centers around assessing the impact of oil spill and tire wear related contaminants on both marine and freshwater species.
My hobbies outside the sport of powerlifting include gardening and plant hoarding, and have over 70 houseplants to care for, and I’m slowly trying to get into golfing (though I am pretty bad at it). I also like to read fantasy books and watch trash tv.
What is your favourite lifting memory?
One of my favourite lifting memories was hitting my first 200kg deadlift at CPU nationals in 2020. I had to fight through a 2+ year plateau and to finally hit that lift after struggling with deadlifts for so long straight up made me cry. A close second was placing third at Worlds in 2024. I was nominated 5th, injured myself 2 weeks out and had no expectations that I was a medal contender, and didn't even realize I was in a podium position until my last deadlift.
What is one piece of advice you have for up and coming athletes getting into strength training or strength sport?
Consistency over time is key. If you show up to every session and put in your best effort you can overcome most plateaus and injuries. You have to be patient with yourself and trust the process, and though it may feel like you aren't making progress in the moment, it all adds up if you give it enough time.
What is your favourite lift or event?
Squats for sure! Even though I have struggled with squats a bit the last couple of years I always look forward to squatting in my training sessions. I also do some strongman and in strongman the log press is my favourite.
What is your favourite product and why?
13mm Belt
The adjustability and the support of the 13mm belt is unmatched. I appreciate being able to go from a relatively snug fit for squats to a looser fit for deadlift with no effort on meet day and I like its solid structure.
What 3 other items are your go to and why?
Powerlifting Knee Sleeves
Weightlifting Knee Sleeves
Flexible Medium Wrist Wraps
The new powerlifting sleeves have a flexible but incredibly snug neoprene that gives me a tiny bit more of a pop out of the hole, and use them for all my competition squats. They are a bit more fitted than the standard sleeve and provide a bit of extra support for my heavy squat sessions.
The weightlifting sleeves are my number 1 choice for accessory work and strongman activities because they are super easy to put on, the fit is not nearly as tight as the powerlifting sleeves, and they are more breathable than the standard sleeves. Definitely an underrated item.
I use the flexible medium wrist wraps for both squat and bench and I find they are both super supportive but are still comfortable to wear, so they are my go to for both of those lifts.
What colourway is your favourite and why?
Phantom
This was hard to pick, as it's almost a 3 way tie between Phantom, Momentum and Phoenix. I like how sleek the all black colourway of the Phantom collection is. Momentum is similar with a pop of white which helps highlight the SBD branding better than the Phantom collection, and the dark red of the Phoenix collection is a colour that really suits me.
SBD makes not only some of the best powerlifting gear in the game they also are a major sponsor of our sport and give back to the community through both athlete and meet sponsorship and through creating money meets that showcase the sport like the Sheffield. By supporting SBD, you are supporting strength athletes.
Working with SBD Canada is a privilege, not only because of the quality gear they provide, but because of their values as a company. SBD Canada values achievement over aesthetic, and they sponsor and model their equipment with a very diverse range of athletes, and to me that means a lot.
