Powerlifting Princess by Madison

Powerlifting Princess by Madison - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

While playing middle school basketball, I realized this sport wasn't for me. That meant that during the Winter I had to find another sport to fill in where basketball would be. Our school offered a sport called powerlifting. I knew I was strong from the summer weights program we were encouraged to do, but I never thought of doing it as a sport. My freshman year I decided to go out for powerlifting. I was one of the only girls who showed up. A small freshman girl in a weight room full of boys was immensely intimidating, but I never backed down. As a senior in high school, I am still one of the only girls in the weight room for powerlifting. Powerlifting practices are different than your normal sport's practices. It is not required that you be at practice to compete in meets. It is one of those sports where you get out of it what you put into it. I'm not going to say I have been to every single practice, but I get out of it what I put into it. Each year I've been in powerlifting I've placed more and more times at meets. My junior year at state, I was the state champion for my weight class. I placed first in squat and clean, and third in bench. This was, by far, my biggest success in high school and I haven't even graduated yet. This sets my goal higher for my senior year to be returning state champion and keep my title.

This sport is not just buff boys screaming while benching a bar that looks as if it’s about to break. I have proven this stereotype. I am by no means “buff”. I’m not afraid to tell people my weight because it’s mostly muscle. I’m 5’5’’ and I weigh roughly 150 pounds, it’s average for a powerlifter who is my size. My legs can squat almost twice that. I have broken the squat record for my weight class at 250 pounds, and plan to break it again this year. Powerlifting has personally taught me how to set goals and reach them. That was my goal my freshman year - to break the squat record. At the time it seemed impossible, but I set my mind to it, worked hard for 3 years, and eventually broke it. Also as a state champion, you get your picture taken and posted on the wall in the weight room. That itself is motivation while lifting to keep pushing.

Powerlifting teaches not only physical strength, but mental strength as well. A person has to be strong, for your weight, to compete well in meets, but mentality is key. It is a mental game, too. As they call your name to lift next, you have to have the mindset that you are going to get this lift up no matter how heavy it feels. If you don’t, you’ll surely drop it. Some lifters spend the whole time that they’re not lifting with earphones in their ears to zone everything out. Others have to be up moving, to be talking to others, or they’ll remember how nervous they are drop their weight. Before each lift some lifters may have to do a certain warm up because they are superstitious about doing it the same every time. Everyone is different when it comes to lifting. I, myself am not superstitious but I warm up the same and zone out as soon as I am called to lift. It gets me pumped up and ready to get my lifts. It is a mental sport with heavy physical objects.

Powerlifting has become the sport I look forward to most over the years. I enjoy its personal achievement. I rely on myself, and myself only to show up and make myself better. I have spent many nights in the weight room doing anything I can to get better. Even though it’s only me lifting, my fellow powerlifters give me the motivation and courage to keep going every day. This sport has taught me so much about strength in both aspects. It has taught me to keep going when things get too hard, or too “heavy”. It pushes my limits, without pushing me over the edge. I would not be the same person I am today without powerlifting.