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Weight-lifter reveals the family tragedy which pushed her to win gold

Queensland 24-year-old champion weightlifter Tia-Clair Toomey has dedicated her Commonwealth Games gold medal to her teenage cousin who was killed in a car accident a week ago, whom she said was "lifting the bar" with her.

The Gladstone woman took out the 58kg women's weightlifting title on Friday night with a clean and jerk of 114kg.

She was crowned "fittest woman on Earth" last year after becoming the first Australian to win the CrossFit Games.

Gladstone woman Tia-Clair Toomey won gold in last night's 58kg women's weightlifting Commonwealth Games event. Source: Channel 7
Gladstone woman Tia-Clair Toomey won gold in last night's 58kg women's weightlifting Commonwealth Games event. Source: Channel 7

But her Commonwealth Games victory came amid an emotional rollercoaster, after Toomey's young cousin Jade Dixson died suddenly in a car accident Tuesday last week.

The 17-year-old had been planning to watch Toomey compete, but was a passenger in a car that crashed into a tree on the Sunshine Coast.

"My little cousin, she was only 17," the champion told Weekend Sunrise on Saturday morning after a night of little sleep.

"Last Tuesday, she passed away in a car accident, which was very, very shocking to the family. It was heartbreaking."

Toomey's clean-and-jerk PB of 114kg clinched a winning total of 201kg was dedicated to her cousin Jade who died in a car crash last week. Source: Channel 7
Toomey's clean-and-jerk PB of 114kg clinched a winning total of 201kg was dedicated to her cousin Jade who died in a car crash last week. Source: Channel 7

Toomey said the sudden loss rocked the family, and she did not have the chance to properly grieve because she needed to focus on the Commonwealth Games.

"As a family, I didn't know if my family were going to be coming [to watch the competition], obviously, because it is a very hard time for them," she said.

"They were all there supporting me and I feel like... that performance last night was definitely for Jade. She was lifting the bar with me."

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For nearly two weeks the reigning CrossFit champion put her grief on hold, desperately focusing on weightlifting in the hope she might win gold in memory of a cousin so suddenly lost.

The tears finally came on Friday night when the world's fittest woman proved she is also the strongest in the Commonwealth.

In an extraordinary performance featuring two personal bests, Toomey, won the women's 58kg title at her maiden Games.

Jade Dixson, 17, died after the car in which she was travelling hit a tree. Source: Facebook
Jade Dixson, 17, died after the car in which she was travelling hit a tree. Source: Facebook

The 24-year-old held her nerve in a heart-stopping duel to pip Canadian favourite Tali Darsigny by 1kg on the Gold Coast.

She was confident and smiling as she lifted a PB snatch of 87kg and then a dramatic clean-and-jerk PB of 114kg to clinch a winning total of 201kg.

Toomey went toe to toe with Darsigny throughout and sat 1kg adrift following the snatch section.

But the Canadian's best of 112kg on her final lift was only good enough for a combined 200kg.

Toomey upped the ante on her rival with each lift, comfortably conquering 107kg, then 111kg, before completing the required 114kg.

It was afterwards, when she finally allowed herself to reunite with family, that the bittersweet nature of her remarkable triumph began to sink in.

"It was more than just weightlifting, more than just the Commonwealth Games last night. It was best to kind of say, 'We love you'," she told Weekend Sunrise.

Toomey dedicated her gold medal to her young cousin Jade, who was tragically killed in a car accident. Source: 7 News
Toomey dedicated her gold medal to her young cousin Jade, who was tragically killed in a car accident. Source: 7 News

"I wanted to make sure brought my absolute best. Without that crowd, I don't know if I would have had that extra bit of energy to get that weight up. I do owe a lot of that to them."

"Winning the CrossFit Games was unbelievable, but winning it here in front of my home crowd on the platform was just spectacular."

The result is a huge improvement on Toomey's 14th-place finish at the Rio Olympics, only her third international weightlifting competition after the childhood track talent added the sport to her CrossFit repertoire.

And while it showed her she has the potential do something special at Tokyo 2020, the focus for now is defending her CrossFit crown.

"Of course I'd really love to be able to train hard and perform like that, if not better, at the Olympics.

"But my next focus is trying to in June go to the CrossFit Games again."