Aspiring teacher, former NSW public school student and beloved staff member Kyle Bruce will be doing the heavy lifting for Australia at the Paris Olympics.

Seven Hills West Public School is going and green for Kyle. The Birmingham Commonwealth Games weightlifting silver medallist was a passionate School Learning Support Officer (SLSO) at the school from 2017 to 2020.

Kyle loved helping students at the school lift in learning and in life and was inspired to enrol in teacher training.

“I loved helping students navigate challenges,” he said.

Seven Hills West Public Principal, Shanti Clements, said Kyle was a much-loved member of staff.

“Sometimes you meet people who are truly special, who will make a positive difference to our world. Kyle Bruce is one,” she said.

“He supported students with complex learning needs, and ran sports and playground activities, which our kids loved.

Ms Clements said students, parents and staff appreciated “Kyle’s positivity, enthusiasm and dedication”.

“Congratulations, Kyle, we will be cheering all the way from Seven Hills. Thanks for showing that a kid from Seven Hills can represent Australia,” she said.

Students and staff at Marayong Heights Public School, where Kyle attended from Kindergarten, and Lowesdale Public School, where his mother Alison is the administration manager, are also right behind the young weightlifter.

The heavy load of training has put Kyle’s teaching dream temporarily on hold, but last term took some time out to visit Lowesdale, in the Riverina, to meet some students with big dreams of their own.

“I saw a group of young students with passion and ambition to dedicate their time to anything they love - which was great,” Kyle said. 

Kyle’s gold medal glow was snatched away in Birmingham when a slow-motion video review caused three judges to reverse their initial decision, declaring his arms had not fully extended on the lift and relegating his efforts to silver.

But the man who dreamed big as a schoolboy is back wiser and stronger, jumping from the 81kg class in which he competed at Birmingham, to the 89kg class for Paris.

Kyle was the top Oceania weightlifter in his class at the 2024 World Cup in Thailand, lifting a total of 336kg, including 149kg in the snatch and 187kg in the clean and jerk.

As youngster at Marayong, near Blacktown, Kyle hoped to one day represent Australia, initially leaning into his late father’s passion for rugby.

“I always played sport growing up, and I definitely imagined this moment,” Kyle said.

“I have worked super hard and sport is where I thrived. I’m grateful my hard work paid off.”

He said he had strong support from his public school teachers.

“All my primary school teachers made me feel special and allowed me to put my best foot forward,” he said.

“For that, I’m very grateful for the education I received.”

Kyle said he had also learned plenty during his time working as an SLSO.

“It was rewarding and, although exhausting, I got a lot out of it and it made me better at interacting with people,” he said.

His “kind nature, dedication and initiative” impressed Year 6 teacher Noreen Rosario.

“It was a pleasure to work alongside someone who consistently strove for excellence and embodied the spirit of teamwork and commitment,” she said.

His experience at Seven Hills West convinced Kyle to train as a primary teacher.

“I always loved school and, in primary schools, I feel I have a direct effect on how the student grows up and what kind of person they become,” he said.

“I want to instil kindness and good values and for them to become passionate young adults who are productive and see the good in the world.”

Administration officer Regina Kennedy said students “loved his assistance in class and on the sporting field”.

While administration manager, Nicole Neylan, remembers a health-conscious young man who loved to kick the ball with students in breaks and “was great with the support unit kids”.

“He was a massive guy getting out of a tiny blue car, which always made everyone laugh,” she recalled fondly.

Kyle and his partner in life and lifting, Isabel Lorenzi, now run Uplift Gym in Berala, where he still enjoys connecting with young people.

“We work with lots of young students who, even if they don’t enjoy sports, know the physical and mental benefits of exercise, and I really enjoy that,” he said.

“I want them to find enjoyment for movement and be respectful and loyal to those who help them progress.

“The most important people for my lifting career have been my coach Ali Azari and Isabel - they’ve been through all the trial and tribulations with me and have always encouraged me to pursue a career as well as my sporting endeavours.”