The 1980s were a critical time for women in strength sports. It wasn't until 1983 that the International Weightlifting Federation recognised women in the sport, and women competed for the first time at the World Weightlifting Championships in 1987. The Olympics would take another 13 years to include women's weightlifting at the Sydney games in 2000. Watch That Lift follows one aspiring female athlete who was among the first to participate in the National Olympic Weightlifting Championship in the UK.

This portrait of champion weightlifter Christine Starling shows the skill and determination needed to compete in a sport that has been slow to acknowledge the value women can bring to it. Christine reflects on the challenges of managing her day job, family life, rigorous training schedule and strict diet plan. Still, she also celebrates the social and physical benefits of the sport, as well as the support she receives from her husband and her coach. In 2021 the UK won its first Olympic medal in women's weightlifting, a legacy that owes much to individuals like Christine, who early on lobbied for recognition.