“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius
Back in January I post a video of me deadlifting five reps of 240lbs on my Instagram account, and received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from my friends, family, and followers. The next day at work, some of my colleagues mentioned they saw it and commented how strong I was. I consider those compliments to be the best ones I have ever received. To be called “strong” is a lot more fulfilling than be called “pretty” or “cute”, or even hearing someone admire my clothing choices. Last year I wrote a post chronicling my fitness journey and philosophy, and now, over a year later, I am proud to announce that I have exceeded my own expectations in powerlifting.
My journey continued this school year with an announcement from a student wanting to put together a powerlifting team. I responded that I would be more than happy to be the teacher sponsor, in which former students would volunteer to coach the students. On the first day we met in the weight room at school, I was elated to see so many people interested, especially girls. Every Wednesday we meet after school and work on our squats, bench press, and deadlifts. It has been such an overwhelmingly positive experience for me to see the students gain strength each week. I think it is truly amazing what the body can do, and to be able to use it in such an incredible way is very rewarding. It’s not just the physical results that I’m proud of, but the mental strength I have gained as well. By lifting heavy weights I have become more motivated to be the best I can be. I have gained so much more confidence in myself, not just in the way I look as a result, but in pushing myself to achieve my goals by adding more weight or volume to my workout. The community I’m within has also been a positive factor, because everyone is so encouraging and supportive. Though some of the students compete in a powerlifting meet, I find that none of them are antagonistic towards each other. When we’re together in the weight room, we cheer each other on, as well as motivate one another to do our best. This sense of camaraderie also contributes to both the physical and mental strength gained.
I am so proud of my students, my husband, and myself for making the decision to powerlift. I never imagined myself being associated with an athletic team at school, and now I couldn’t imagine life without it. Powerlifting has become a part of my weekly routine, and though sometimes I’m feeling lazy and tired and don’t want to lift, I never regret it after I have finished. While cardio videos left me sweaty and exhausted, powerlifting leaves me proud and accomplished. And to me, there’s no better feeling than that.
A special thank you goes out to our wonderful coaches and mentors, Jacob Ritchie and Mikey Nguyen, for their dedication, motivation, and expertise!
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