13-Year-Old Crushes World Record in First Competition

A 13-year-old just proved that viral fame can translate into real-world dominance.

Aurora "Rory" van Ulft stepped onto the competition platform for the first time this weekend at the 2026 IWF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia, and absolutely demolished the competition. Competing in the women's 44kg category, she lifted a staggering 93kg in the clean and jerk, obliterating the previous world youth record of 76kg.

Her total lift of 162kg earned her gold by a 19kg margin over Turkey's silver medalist. Even more impressive? She predicted her exact performance beforehand, telling media she was aiming for 73-93-162 and landing almost perfectly on target.

For years, van Ulft has captivated over 400,000 Instagram followers with training videos showing lifts that exceeded even senior world records. Born in Ottawa and representing Aruba through her father's Dutch heritage, she'd been unofficially topping youth records since age 11. Sunday was the moment it all became official.

"It feels amazing to get a new record," van Ulft said after her historic performance. "Honestly, I'm feeling pretty great."

The Ripple Effect

Van Ulft's victory means more than personal glory. She's putting the tiny island nation of Aruba on the global sports map in a way few athletes ever have.

"I'm glad people are noticing Aruba too, not just me," she said. "It means a lot that Aruba is getting some recognition from this." Nicole Hoevertsz, Aruba's IOC member and Secretary General of the Olympic Committee, traveled to Colombia to personally present van Ulft's medal, calling it "a great moment for us."

Her coach Spencer Moorman, a former US national champion, has guided her journey from the beginning. Her parents made the 4,500km trip from Ottawa to watch their daughter make history.

Van Ulft isn't pausing to celebrate. She's already preparing for the Pan American Games in Ecuador at the end of August, with her ultimate goal crystal clear: competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, when she'll turn 15 and become eligible for senior competition.

Sometimes the hype is real, and a young athlete with a dream becomes exactly what the world hoped she'd be.