SYDNEY, Australia — It was a memorable trip to The Land Down Under this month for Champlain native Barb Boyer.

Boyer was in Sydney, Australia for the World Masters Games where she competed in weightlifting. She enjoyed a spectacular day Oct. 10, winning a gold medal and the best lifter award for her age group (65+) and weight class (69 kilograms). She also set new International Weightlifting Federation and World Masters Games records in the snatch (38 kgs) and clean & jerk (53 kgs) for a total of 91 kgs.

Team USA just missed out on the gold, finishing a close second a very strong Australian team.

With all her success at The Games, the highlight of her trip to Australia had to be her induction into the World Masters' Weightlifting Hall of Fame on Oct. 12.

"I was surprised to learn that I am only the ninth woman to achieve this honor among 53 Hall of Fame members from around the world," said an excited Boyer.

Boyer's Hall of Fame credentials are nothing short of astonishing. She has set 25 records in five world championships and has won seven world and eight national championships.

In April, 2009, Boyer was inducted into the national masters' Hall of Fame after winning an unprecedented seventh gold medal in 2008.

While in Sydney, Boyer was interviewed by a representative of Windsor (Ont.) University. It was part of a study being conducted by the university's Department of Kinesiology to determine the views, practices and experiences of people age 50 and over who participate in sports, as well as those who do not. The interview, expected to last 20 minutes, ran for nearly an hour.

Boyer returned to her home in Alburg, Vt. last week. After a brief break from training, she will begin preparation for the 2010 National Masters Championships to be held in Rego Park, N.Y. in April.