This teen will today become the first Irish female to compete at the weightlifting World Championships

Lai Nguyen, his wife Thuy and his teenage daughter Tham usually spend their nights cooking, packing and serving delicacies such as aromatic duck, yuk sung, and spicy prawn coconut soup to customers at their family business, the Clarehall Chinese Takeaway in Dublin.

This week is different, at least for Lai and “Thammy”.

At about 9pm Irish time tonight, Thammy – all 7st 7lb of her – will walk on to the stage at the George R Brown Convention Centre in Houston, Texas, and do something no Irish female has ever done before. She will compete at the weightlifting World Championships.