Vera, Boyana, and Kalimana: The Valkyries of Heavylifting

At just 18 years old, Boyana Kostadinova, a rising star in the women's weightlifting scene, is making waves. She inherits her power from her mother, Vera Marinova-Kalimana, a former national and world champion in powerlifting. Vera serves as a mentor to Boyana's younger sister, Kalimana, who is also making her mark in the sport.

Despite her tender age, Boyana has already claimed silver and bronze at the European Weightlifting Championships in Batumi, Georgia, in April, despite a lingering injury in her knee. Her achievements have made her mother immensely proud and set an example for her younger sister, Kalimana, who is preparing to achieve her own success in weightlifting.

In their family, there are other athletes, but they are mostly track and field athletes and runners. The third child of Vera, Kubrat, who is between Boyana and Kalimana, has different interests, focusing on programming.

Vera has never forced her children into a particular direction, but naturally, her two daughters have gravitated towards weightlifting.

“My mother never had any ulterior ambitions as a parent, but watching what she does every day, I eventually developed a desire myself. Her personal example is the most valuable to me, watching her deal with everything,” Boyana told 24 Hours. “The first time I entered the gym, I felt ashamed. I was afraid of doing something wrong. Even though it was a children's bar, because I'm somewhat shy, I was worried about messing up.”

Vera recognized her daughter's potential early on, after just half a year of weightlifting.

“Boyana started with another sport. I think it's great for children to experience contact sports, as they provide exceptional fitness during the growing phase of a child's body. She wanted to try weightlifting, which I consider the 'king' of sports. She achieved some serious results in a very short time,” Vera recalled. “For the weight she lifted at the very beginning, she either has to have very strong genetics or put in a lot of effort and time, which she didn't have as a young athlete. That's when I recognized her potential. At 18, she already has impressive results for a woman.”

Boyana acknowledges that her mother is her greatest support and best friend.

“There were moments when I had to drop a lot of weight before competitions, and she would go without eating out of solidarity with me until the weigh-in was over,” the champion shared. “She is one of the few people who understand what I go through—stress, pain, and everything. She always tells me to be calm and imagine I'm just in the gym before a competition. I've never been concerned about her reaction after my competition performances. Even when I literally failed, she was the only person who helped me get out of the mental slump and not feel like a failure, because the next competition is coming and it will be different.”

Boyana remembers the moment when Vera became a world champion in powerlifting in 2019, although she was too young to fully appreciate the significance of the event at the time.