Powerlifting changed me. For the better.

I remember being 4 years old, watching my mom on flexing on stage as a bodybuilding competitor. As I grew up I was always in awe of how strong she was and it was my dream to be as strong as her – to compete in bodybuilding just like her.

I did try in 2014-2015, but it became clear during prep that it wasn’t the best thing for my health – physically or mentally.

For years after, it was all I could do just to make it through some of my workouts. I wasn’t eating or resting enough on top of struggling with chronic health issues.

At the start of 2021, I made it my mission to ditch aesthetic goals and just get as strong as f*cking possible. Then in March our coach Bob suggested we try powerlifting. We trained hard for 8 weeks, learned the ins and outs of a new sport, and competed in our first meet Ladies of Iron MN in May.

It felt so good to train for something. I started to feel like an athlete again.

I was focused on what my body was capable of, rather than what it looked like.

This weekend we participated in our second meet – Monster’s Bash.

I just 8 months I’ve added 124lbs to my squat max, 40lbs to my bench and 100lbs to my deadlift.. this time I’m in awe of myself.

I may be physically stronger than my mom now, but she’s still my inspiration. Not only that, but she’s a 5x master’s powerlifting state record holder! (So I guess technically, she’s still the strongest one ).

We still have tons to learn but I’m so grateful for this sport we can participate in together.

Here’s to getting stronger, physically and mentally. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.