Derick Luu

IPF Open Classic World Championship
2023 - 66kg - 11th

CPU Open Classic National Championship
2023 - 66kg - Gold

CPU Junior Classic National Championship
2017 - 66kg - Silver

Best Lifts
Classic Squat - 207.5kg
Classic Bench Press - 162.5kg
Classic Deadlift - 265kg
Classic Total - 635kg

Biography
I was born in Vietnam, however I grew up in Toronto, Ontario for the majority of my life. I’ve been competing in powerlifting since 2016 and have been lifting weights as a teenager since high school. I started lifting so that I could be a better track and field athlete but quickly fell in love with strength training and with the help of YouTube and social media, found that powerlifting was a competitive sport I wanted to try.

My biggest accomplishments as an athlete would be winning 2023 CPU nationals at the 66kg Open class. It was an extremely emotional moment when I realized I had won and fulfilled a 7 year long dream.

I train at Band of Barbells in Scarborough, Ontario. My coach is Ian Seguin from Adaptive Strength Performance.

As a Chiropractor, I help people manage their pain and injuries from general population to powerlifters. I work both in-person in a hospital setting as well as provide online rehab services to powerlifters.

Outside of lifting, I love brewing specialty coffee and experimenting with different beans and brew methods. I’m also completing a masters degree in rehabilitation science as a part-time student and help teach a continuing education course called Barbell Rehab.

What is your favourite lifting memory?
My favorite memory would be winning 2023 CPU nationals and breaking down in tears realizing my dream had finally come true. What made this special was the adversity and injuries I had to go through in order to get to this point. I competed 2016-17 and was away from the sport for 4 years while completing my Doctor of Chiropractic degree and battling chronic low back injuries that would never seem to go away. Finally, after graduating school, I got in contact with my current coach and was able to overcome my injuries and started competing again in 2022. After that, a series of injuries continued to set me back but this time, with the support of my coach, friends and the powerlifting community, I was able to relentlessly pursue my goals of becoming a national champion, and so the accumulation of all my emotions were released that day when I had realized that I won nationals.

What is one piece of advice you have for up and coming athletes getting into strength training or strength sport?
My one piece of advice for up and coming lifters would be to work on developing your own inner self belief. The ability to believe in yourself and believe that you will accomplish your goals even in the face of adversity, injuries, bad meets, etc. will take you a long way.

What is your favourite lift or event?
Deadlift

What is your favourite product and why?
13mm Belt
I cant lift as much without it.

I look cool matching in the SBD colours.

What colourway is your favourite and why?
Defy
I like the colour.

Why do you believe SBD is the gear all athletes should use?
Every SBD product that I’ve worn and competed in has felt like the highest quality equipment I have ever used, in addition the matching cool colour schemes.