Just weeks before the kettlebell world championships, Haylee Redfern couldn’t even lift a bag of groceries with one arm.

Now, she’s a four-time world champion and record holder after an extraordinary comeback at the 2025 WKSF World Championships in Italy.

Haylee lifted a 16kg kettlebell 136 times in 10 minutes during the one-arm long cycle event to establish a new record.

She also equalled a record in the traditional two-kettlebell event to win four gold medals across amateur and masters classes, then backed it up with team performances in the relay events representing Australia.

“It is a little bit surreal to think I was able to do that considering what was happening,” she said.

“I think it came down to mentally I was prepared, I was committed to this.”

The local athlete, a mum and businesswoman, won gold and broke records at the WKSF titles in 2024 and had booked her flights to this year’s championships back in January.

But outside of kettleball season she’s also a strongman competitor so when one of those events was scheduled for Bathurst – so much closer to home than she can typically compete – she changed up her training to include that.

Unfortunately, she was injured in the very first event, tearing her trapezius and rhomboid muscles away from the vertebrae on both sides of her upper back.

“I’ve injured myself before but this was next level, I thought I’d done something to my spine,” Haylee said.

Doctors at Orange Hospital ruled out spinal fractures and surgery but recovery was expected to take months, just seven weeks out from the world titles.

Dealing with burning pain and considering withdrawing from the championships, Haylee found new motivation when her mum told her she’d be able to join her on the trip.

Haylee hadn’t actually told her family about the injury at that point but she pivoted her training, heading to Anytime Fitness to do legwork on the equipment and increasing her cardio.

She didn’t do any upper body training until about two weeks out from competition when she began to test herself with two light kettlebells – she found two were balanced in a way that did let her lift, where working one side aggravated her injury.

“I didn’t do any long sets – a minute if that and they weren’t heavy,” Haylee said.

“As far as picking up one kettlebell goes I just didn’t do it.”

Haylee was the first Australian to compete in Italy and the competition opened with her preferred disciplines, the long cycle.

She approached the platform hoping that not having put any pressure on her back in the lead up would have paid off.

“I know what I can do but I just didn’t know how I would go without the training,” Haylee said.

“Mentally I had to be more there than anything because physically I couldn’t be … I was basically prepared for anything and I was just going to push through.”

In the next 10 minutes, she completed 90 reps with two kettlebells in 10 minutes to win gold in both amateur and masters classes, equalling the world record.

Then came her record-breaking one-arm long cycle effort.

Following the win, she withdrew from the biathlon event to preserve her energy for the team relays.

The Elite relay involved lifting 20kg kettlebells - something she hadn’t done since March.

Australia finished fourth in the Elite relay and took silver in the mixed event.

By the final day, fatigue was setting in. Still, Haylee claimed two bronze medals in a 30-minute event.

“I’m incredibly grateful, you can’t wipe the smile off my face,” she said.

“I’m genuinely grateful for my body holding up.

“It’s a privilege to be able to do what I do, I don’t take anything for granted.”

None of it would be possible without the backing of family and community, especially her husband Jake.

“I honestly could not have done this without him, he is my biggest supporter and my rock,” Haylee said.

His parents also helped keep the house running and their two boys where they needed to be.

“I’m really, really lucky I’ve got the support I do,” Haylee said.

It was also incredibly special this time to have her mum cheering her on from the grandstand.

Haylee’s focus can now turn to qualifying for 2026 by competing in the State of Origin event in August and nationals in Perth in September.

November brings the world championships in the sport’s other federation – the International Union of Kettlebell Lifting – in China.

This means she’ll be working with her doctors, in addition to the strength and kettlebell coaches she works with regularly, to work out a training program for the coming weeks.

“I’ve actually pulled up really well - mentally I’ve pulled up really well,” Haylee said.

“I’ve just got to navigate this injury and work with what I’ve got … so that it heals completely but I’m able to continue because I am mid-season.”

It’s also financial support that makes it possible.

While Haylee competes with the Australian team, kettlebell is a self-funded sport and the entry fees alone were nearly $2000.

The sponsorship of Anytime Fitness and Lachlan Readymix made this year possible and she’s very grateful for their support.