Avishai Eilim powers up to global competition

At just 21, South African-born powerlifter Avishai Eilim has already claimed national and African titles, broken multiple records, and placed among the world’s elite. Now, instead of chasing constant competition, he is making a calculated decision to step back, training patiently toward a singular ambition: to become world champion. 

Eilim, born in South Africa, made aliya with his family when he was just a baby, and returned to South Africa about 10 years ago. He said when he first walked into the gym, he was immediately drawn to the sport of powerlifting. 

He was approached by his coach, Dan Oppenheim, one of the best South African powerlifters, and he realised he had talent in the sport. 

In fact, it was after only four or five months of training that Eilim and Oppenheim realised that he had the capacity to be one of the best powerlifters in the country, specialising in bench press. His bench press is currently 192.5kg, and he competes in the -83kg weight class. 

Oppenheim, in his 80s, still competes at a global level. He has shown Eilim that powerlifting is more than competitions and lifting, it’s about consistency. 

“He’s been training since he was about 15 years old. But powerlifting, and competing at that level, has always been about far more than lifting weights. It’s about discipline, consistency, and mindset,” said Eilim. “The lessons I’ve learned through powerlifting have shaped every part of my life, my business, my relationships, and how I approach challenges. Competing internationally isn’t just about winning, it’s about testing myself and doing the work that builds discipline and mental strength, qualities that carry into every other area of life.” 

Eilim said dedication was another crucial factor. Many people say they want to succeed, but few are willing to be disciplined and consistent enough to reach international level. “Concentration also matters. Athletes often try to do too much at once, spreading themselves across multiple sports or commitments instead of focusing their energy where it truly counts,” he said. 

“Determination, meanwhile, is refusal to give up,” said Eilim. “In powerlifting, there are wins and losses, but real determination comes from understanding that success is a long journey. It’s about keeping an eventual goal in mind and continuing to work toward it, regardless of setbacks. That mindset, Dan says, is the foundation of his entire approach.” 

Eilim said he enjoys the bench press because it’s not dependent on raw strength alone, there’s a mental game involved. 

“Everything plays a role, but mindset is what ultimately separates athletes,” he said. “There’s a sports psychologist, Bill Beswick, who once spoke about talent in a way that really stuck with me. He said everyone is born with some level of ability, but someone with enormous talent who doesn’t apply themselves will often lose to someone with far less talent who works relentlessly.” 

Using basketball as an example, Beswick said some athletes competed only to be the best in their school, others aim to succeed at provincial level, then at national and continental level. But only a very small group push all the way to the top of the world stage, and they don’t just want to win, they want to dominate, to be so far ahead, that future generations measure themselves against them. 

“What separates those athletes isn’t talent alone, but mentality and determination. Technique matters, training every day matters, and consistency is crucial. But mindset is the foundation, because from the right mentality, everything else follows,” Eilim said. 

Though Eilim has won South African and African championships and set multiple national and continental records, he sees them rather as points along the journey to the end goal of being world champion. 

“Obviously, goals motivate you, but it’s a stepping stone towards where you want to be eventually. You have to enjoy all the steps along the way. It’s important to be able to lose, to be able to win, and still train.” 

At just 19 years old, Eilim placed seventh in the world at the World Championships in Sun City, where he broke another African record. 

“I proved to myself that, with years to come, I have the ability to stand with the absolute best in the world, to be among the top competitors in the world.” 

He has now decided to step back from frequent competition so that he can build towards one goal: to become world champion at the 2026-2027 World Championships in Istanbul. 

He said that in powerlifting, you go through a training cycle of gaining size, strength, and then competing. “When you’re competing, it’s definitely possible to do all three, but we’ve chosen to step back to focus on the areas that we need to improve.” 

He has chosen to build the fundamentals from the ground up to a much stronger position. 

“For example, in 2024, if I had competed, I would have placed fourth in the world. The numbers and weight that I’ve hit in the gym – even more than that – but we’re going to focus a lot more heavily on training rather than competition,” he said.