Olivia Broome won silver in Birmingham four years ago and has her sights set on going one better this time around.Paul Martin16:28, 27 May 2026Powerlifter Olivia Broome hopes her sport can make the most of its time in the spotlight as she bids to get the Commonwealth Games off to a flyer.‌The first medals of Glasgow 2026 will be won in para powerlifting, the first time a para sport has held the honour, with Broome taking part in the opening session in the women’s lightweight category. The 25-year-old from Chorley won silver in Birmingham four years ago and has her sights set on going one better this time around.‌“To be the first event is pretty mental,” she said. “It’s really important. We are not a very widely broadcast sport, it’s still quite a small sport over here.‌“Growing up, I never heard about para powerlifting so to be the first event of the Games is vital as you get more eyes and more exposure. That is what a lot of sports really need, just to get out there a bit more. You always want to do well no matter when you compete in an event like this but to be the first one, you want the team to get off to a good start as it creates a really good drive in the athletes.“I was 21 in Birmingham, I’ll be 25 at these Games, so my mentality is very different. I am not thinking ‘what will be, will be’. I am like ‘I have to do it, it’s on me to do well at this comp’.”Broome, a two-time Paralympic medallist, became European champion earlier this year and will again be using music as a key motivational tool when she heads to Glasgow.‌“I am not that superstitious but if I’ve had a song on before my first lift and my first lift goes really well, that song will be on repeat for the entire comp,” she said.“People always ask if I get bored of it but I think ‘it worked for one lift, it will work for all the others’. In Paris, I had Brilliant by Shinedown, they are usually my go-to in comp as they are loud, heavy and it can be quite motivating.“Recently I’ve had Bad Omens on. It is usually anything rock-based. Some people call it ‘dad rock’, which I like – I’m not sure what that says about me! But it has to be loud and invigorating.”‌Broome hopes a similar noise can be made around the King’s Baton Relay, which is taking place ahead of the Games and being supported by Team England’s official automotive partner, Geely. The Lancashire lifter teamed up with her childhood hero Ellie Simmonds as part of the celebrations and can’t wait for para sport to take centre stage once the action begins.“Being part of the relay is really special,” she said. “Seeing all the work that goes into these things, especially in creating the baton and the story behind it, is amazing.“I grew up watching her on TV all the time. We met each other at a shared event at a dwarf sports association weekend going back years, I was 10 or 11. Now I’m older I talk to her a bit more and she is a very good friend now. It is surreal when a childhood hero becomes a good friend. It’s a bit mental, really.”Article continues belowTeam England are Ready to Win at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Keep up to date on https://teamengland.org/.