NBSV 211: Strength at 72 — Vegan powerlifting nun Pat Farrell and Coach Katya Gorbacheva
- Karina Inkster
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
At 72, Pat Farrell is turning heads in the powerlifting world. Pat is a Dominican sister, a longtime advocate for social justice, and a dedicated vegan who has recently taken the strength community by storm. She joins me to share her journey into competitive powerlifting, her rapid progress in training, and what it feels like to become known as the vegan powerlifting nun in mainstream news.
Pat is joined by her coach, Katya Gorbacheva, who is the third strongest vegan woman on the planet. Katya gives us an inside look at how she programs Pat’s training, how they are working toward a full meet that includes squat, bench press, and deadlift, and why strength sports are truly accessible for people of all ages.
We talk about protein, recovery, sport psychology, and the powerful mindset shift that happens when performance becomes the focus rather than body size or age. Pat shares insights from her first competition, how she handles the nerves on meet day, and what it means to inspire people around the world to pursue strength at any stage of life.
Important topics we discussed:
>> Strength at any age: how Pat began powerlifting in her seventies.
>> Why talent is overrated, how dedication fuels progress.
>> Katya’s reflections on bodybuilding’s aesthetics-focused culture, compared to powerlifting’s performance focus
Connect with Pat and Katya:
>> Pat on Instagram
Share your thoughts:
>> Comment on the episode's Facebook post.
>> Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews really help, and I read each one!
Subscribe to the show:
>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify.
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