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.
