Why do I compete in powerlifting? I get asked that question all the time, and honestly it’s a complex answer. Powerlifting is my passion and most importantly my therapy. It’s my hopes, dreams, fears, and insecurities put into an iron bar. It has caused a rapid change in my character, making me more determined and mentally tough, but let’s start from the beginning. I started to lift with my best friend, Will, freshman year to get bigger for football. We idolized all bodybuilders, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Jay Cutler and Phil Heath. After playing football in 8th and 9th grade, I realized it wasn’t my thing. I stuck with training and focusing on lifting for size and aesthetics. I wrestled sophomore year, in hopes of finding something else that I was passionate about, still nothing. So I put my head down and kept doing the “Bro” bodybuilding splits in the gym trying not to OD on Pre work out. Then 11th grade came around and I was deep into the fitness industry, following all these YouTubers  I listened and saw many of them transition over to Performance Based Competitions (Strong Man, Powerlifting, Weightlifting). I realized I wanted to train for something more than looks. I wanted to train for pure strength, I wanted to be pound for pound the strongest person anyone knew. I looked online and grabbed the first program I saw. I signed up for the USAPL American Open for December 2014, so I knew there wasn’t any going back. After that, I was Bit by the iron bug! I asked my dad to help me find a coach and a new gym to train out of because I outgrew the local YMCA. I found Crossfit Pushingw8 with my coach Tyler Cox. From there on I went on to compete in the USAPL NC State Championship meet and won 1st place. Now I have my eyes set on a bigger goal, going for gold at 2015 Raw Nationals. That’s where I am now. My training is focused on becoming the strongest 66kg  teenager in this nation. Nothing will stop me from reaching my goals in powerlifting. This is my life and my passion, and I even went to a summer program at UMass to take classes in kinesiology, my interests lie deeper than being just a meathead.

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