Multi-talented with power

Dentist pushes herself to the top

(Bild: Markus Koch, z.V.g., Krone KREATIV)

Paula Zikowsky is particularly fast when it comes to pulling teeth: the young dentist is a very successful weightlifter. But the 28-year-old is also impressive in other areas of sport - a multi-talent wherever strength, skill and endurance are involved.

The Weinviertel native has completed her studies at a record pace and can only support her mother in her surgery in Deutsch-Wagram, Gänserndorf district, to a limited extent, as she is currently constantly overtaking her peak performances: At the European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, she set three new Austrian records.

Talented all round: Paula doesn't hesitate for long when it comes to tackling.(Bild: zVg)

Records are constantly being topped
The two-time national champion then topped these performances again at the following national competitions this year: she achieved 89 kilograms in the snatch and 108 kilograms in the clean and jerk. And this week she and her team, AKH Vösendorf, beat WKG Innviertel with a clear 5:0.

Fitness enthusiast even as a child
Vaulting was already her hobbyhorse at the age of six, later she discovered the appeal of endurance training and finally perfected herself in a sport that is considered one of the most challenging in terms of fitness: "Cross-Fit" comes from the USA, is a combination of various strength and conditioning exercises and is one of the most effective training programs ever.

Versatile lifting into the elite
"It's really about power - and since weightlifting is also part of the program, it wasn't a long way to my current focus," she smiles. Because weightlifting professionally was not actually "planned", the all-rounder tells the "Krone" - it was her physiotherapist who first attested to her special talent for it when she was 22 years old.

The fact that the dentist and the weights are now making such rapid and successful progress is also down to the hard training: "I lift five times a week - twice a day!"