To me, powerlifting is where I can excel at something that means a lot to me. Not only do I have people who are super close, but they’re with me through thick and thin. Last year, I only did powerlifting because I knew it’d help with other sports, I also wanted to lift as much as my mom did.
It turned into a sport that soon became my favorite. It’s so different than any other sport. There’s an energy that the players, coaches, people watching, and judges all have that’s just indescribable. It means being a family with people you wouldn't even talk to before. It means being a part of something that challenges you physically and emotionally. It means pushing others beyond their limits and seeing the absolute joy that crossed their face as they make a lift then never thought they’d ever do in their lives!
To me, it means working for what I achieve and not taking the easy way out, there’s no way. If I want to excel, then I need to work hard and trust others. Powerlifting is being with your best friends that push you. When you get a lift you didn’t know you’d get, or qualify for state, you instantly run to that person and you feel such an amazing feeling that you just can’t talk. Then you move on and cheer your best friend to victory as well.
Powerlifting, to me and others, is not just a sport. There’s so much more that it means to others.
Clare Hallum, first year lifter, freshman;
“It means that I am in an environment that no one will judge me based on how much or how little I lift. Powerlifting has made me more confident in softball and all of the other things I do.”
Anonymous, first year lifter, freshman;
“I'm in powerlifting because it is a good place to push yourself and make good strong friends who are will to be there to help and teach you as well as push you to be your best physically and mentally.and it means pushing yourself making yourself better overall because there is a much better feeling then your friends yelling at you to get through that lift.”
Tyler Bauer, first year lifter, sophomore;
“It means improving myself mentally and physically so it can help later in life. It helps me challenge myself to get better at lifting so I can lift more weight in the future.”
Kortnee Hallgren, first year lifter, freshman;
“Powerlifting means a lot to me. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure that I was going to do it. I thought it wouldn’t benefit me and that it was too much work that I could handle. But instead, I decided to join the team. At the first practices I was scared because I was just a first year lifter and I didn’t know what the heck I was actually doing, what really helped were the upperclassmen because they were nice enough to help me out with some of the different exercises that I didn’t know how to do. Powerlifting is one of the best teams I decided to be on. It pushes me harder than any of my other sports. Powerlifting is more than just lifting weights and looking cool. It showed me I can push myself harder, that I can reach the goals I set. Competing is probably one of my favorite things. I was really nervous the first time I was getting ready but the moment that I stepped out there, I had so much adrenaline in my body that it didn’t even matter. That I knew I could do my lift because I had worked so hard to get to that point. All and all, powerlifting is the greatest thing that I have ever chosen to do. “
Amanda Sahm, second year lifter, sophomore;
“Power lifting is one of the best sports to get into. It pushes you to work hard and only you can control how you want to work that day. If you don't work hard you won't be a good lifter. You are always working with and against yourself. It's the constant work that you put in is what gives you results. That's why powerlifting is the best.”
Abby Kasper, second year lifter, sophomore;
“Powerlifting is a great sport to be in. It shows how determination and personal strength can take you far in life. Honestly powerlifting means everything to me; It's a personal sport, yet it is a team sport. You meet so many new people, that literally become your friends; People that are trying to beat you are there for you no questions asked. Nothing is better than having the whole gym plus your opponents cheer for you while you're trying to get a lift. Powerlifting is a rewarding sport that helps in many ways. I quit basketball, because it lowered my self esteem tremendously, yet I found something amazing to come out of that. Powerlifting. It had helped me improve my confidence and self esteem. So that's why it means everything. The People. The Confidence. and The Enjoyment of it.”
Ethan Kaanta, second year lifter, sophomore;
“Well, power-lifting is a sport that I am very grateful to have. It allows me to have an after school activity where I can hang out with friends and get stronger at the same time. My favorite part is probably just to be able to hang around all the cool people that do power-lifting as well. Of course getting stronger is a key factor, but that's a close priority right behind hanging out with friends.”
Mason Close, second year lifter, sophomore;
“What powerlifting means to me is it's not just a club or a sport. It's a way to meet people and spend time with friends and test your limits to the fullest to reach goals and test strengths you never had before, to see what you are made of and to see how good and how much time and effort you put into this sport. I am very committed to powerlifting, I have tested my limits and reached far beyond my goals and I've tested my strengths I didn't even know I had. This is what powerlifting means to me”
Trey Mohr, second year lifter, senior;
“Not only is powerlifting a confidence booster, but it produces endorphins that help boost my mood. Powerlifting provides the pick-me-up that is needed some days. There is no other activity that provides both the physical and emotional benefits that powerlifting does. “
Sarah Sweeney, second year lifter, senior;
“Powerlifting to me is an opportunity to prove myself. All of my handwork pays off and I can see the progress. I know that I can persevere and be successful if I push myself. It gives me an outlet and a place to express myself.”
Max Marquardt, first year lifter, sophomore;
“I like powerlifting because it is one of those sports where the work you put into it is what you get out of it. It is such a great sport and has so much potential in the fact that it will help many people grow and become better people. I love it because I get to hangout with my friends and get to talk to each other while we try to make each other become stronger. Powerlifting also has many benefits not only for that sports but for others as what you do there can carry over to other sports that also mean so much.”
DeAnna Leon, second year lifter, sophomore;
“Powerlifting has definitely changed my life! I'm just going to put that right out there. Before I joined powerlifting, I was in a sport where I felt like I didn't matter, and I would go home crying because I was never given a chance. So once I reached high school, I decided to change things up a bit and join powerlifting. Boy did I make the best decision of my life! It has taught me that I actually am cared about and no matter how tired you are, keep pushing through! I hate when people saying powerlifting is just a "hobby". No it's my life and the one thing I'm proud of. Not to mention, EVERYBODY from EVERY school cheers you on at meets no matter what. It's such a great environment to be in! And that is what powerlifting means to me. “
Anonymous, second year lifter, junior;
“It means I get to see my friends. It gives me a sense of purpose and gives me will power.”
Allison Lindquist, third year lifter, junior;
“To me powerlifting means that I have a drama free sport to be involved in. It gives me a greater amount of both physical and mental strength. Power lifting means to me that I have a whole "family" cheering for me. Not only at a meet on the platform but also training in the weight room and in life. I know that I will always have my teammates and coaches for both the white and red lights in life.”
Kirstin Dutzle, third year lifter, senior;
“This sport has given me so many opportunities to achieve in things that I thought I could never do. It has built my body to be stronger for greater things but has also strengthen my mind for future things. It gives me a reason to get up and get to school earlier, to challenge myself, and look forward to something new at practice. Powerlifting has given me strength, wisdom, patience, and motivation. Powerlifting is a sport, but it's also more than that it's a family, and there is no greater family than having one that cheers you on and motivates you to lift heavier and achieve your goals.”
Emily Ausman, fourth year lifter, senior;
“Powerlifting has been a huge part of my high school career. I have learned and gained so much from it. Not only have I gained new friends but it has taught me how to be self motivated and how to strive for new and higher goals even though I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do them. I have gained so much more than I had ever thought I would. I would have never thought that I would be able to lift what I do and it's exciting to see others gain the same experiences that I got. It's extremely rewarding to help others reach the goals they had been striving for. It's been a highlight of high school for me.”
George Friberg, fourth year lifter, senior;
“To me powerlifting is one of the greatest opportunities that has been given to me. When it was first introduced my freshman year I wasn't quite sure what to expect from it. I will always remember the first day of practice. We were working on our squat, and the bar hurt my back so bad that when I got home that night I told my mother that I was planning on quitting because I didn't think things would work out. But she told me to give it a few more days and see how it turns out. By having her push me just a little bit, it led to bigger and better things. Freshman year I excelled, taking first or second at each regional meet and qualifying for the state meet. My success has carried on for me the rest of high school so far. Knowing that I'm the first Elk Mound lifter to qualify for the state meet all 4 years of High School is a big confidence booster. Because of the success I've had through powerlifting it has taught me many lessons. Lifting each day with close friends has pushed me to my breaking point both physically and mentally at times. Knowing how to act and hopefully being a good role model to those around me. And strengthening my faith in God. The strength I have today is because God has gifted me with it, and I'm thankful for that everyday of practice. So when I'm asked what the best thing about powerlifting is, I would say it is an opportunity that if you put the hours in you will receive the results you've worked for. Only you are accountable for your success.”
Taylor Deling, one year lifter, freshman in college;
“Powerlifting is so significant in how it helped me to enjoy my senior year and for me to realize that trying something new was not that bad of an idea. It all started out senior year when I had a conflict with whether or not to continue playing basketball, and sit on the bench all year, or join powerlifting. Having had played basketball for 10 years prior and it being my favorite sport, it was one of the hardest decisions I had ever had to make. There was honestly tears, so many tears, and a lot of stress, but I made a pros and cons list. As an athlete, it is really hard to make this type of decision and sometimes you do not realize how hard it is, until you are in such a position. Ultimately, the decision came down to me choosing powerlifting. I had to do something for myself. Sitting on the bench all year long just was not going to do it for me. Joining powerlifting, the environment was so different. I did not know how the season was going to go. I had always been told that I was a strong individual, but I did not really realize how strong I actually was, not only physically, but also mentally. Throughout the season I kept increasing my lifts by a significant amount. The first meet of the year I was able to lift 605. By the fourth meet I was able to lift 675 and accomplish my goal of going to state as a first year lifter! At state I was able to lift 695, as a new personal record, and I placed 10th in the state in my weight class. But to get to that point of accomplishing going to state was not easy. I had to eat right and stay underweight. I had to always be at practice to make sure I was getting stronger. I had to make sure I was doing all I could to stay strong mentally also. It was a long bumpy road, but I would not have it any other way. I could not have done all this without my teammates, my coaches, and especially my Uncle Aaron, who also doubled as a coach and an uncle. Powerlifting did so much more for me than I ever could have imagined. It made me stronger in more ways than I ever could have believed possible. If you are going to try something new and you are scared, it is okay. Trust me, I was terrified. At the end of the day, you have to do what is going to make you happy and be the best decision for you.”
Powerlifting isn’t just about lifting and cheering others on, it motivates us to do better than we could ever dream of. It makes us a better human being and teaches us important lessons.
This is what powerlifting means to us.