Women’s Hall of Fame – 2011

From: Spokane, WA
Current: Anchorage, AK
Began Powerlifting: October 1999, First meet Dec 1999

What is your athletic background?

None! Parents wouldn’t let me do sports in school but found my love for weights in high school weight training.

How did you get into Powerlifting?

Had the bug since high school, but in 1999 watched Paula Houston’s Womens meet in WA and 5 weeks of training, did my first push-pull.

1) First Meet:
a) Push Pull Bench 145; DL 350 @165
b) First full meet, 385sq; 185bp; 420dl; 990 total @ 165

2)Now:
a) 551sq; 341bp; 556dl 1388 total @ 148
b) 4x Open World Champ 2004 (BP); 2004 (PL); 2006; 2008
c) 7x Open World Records

Accomplishments:

• IPF Hall of Fame Inductee 2009
• North American (NAPF) Hall of Fame Inductee 2007
• Brother Bennett Award Recipient – 2010
• 10x IPF Open World Medalist
• 2x World Games Medalist
• 12x USA Powerlifting National Champion
• 13x IPF World Team Member
• 23x International Competitor
• 2x Arnold Sports Festival Deadlift Champion
• #1 Ranked IPF Female of All-time with 654 Wilks points (2004-2009)
• #1 Ranked Female in the USA Powerlifting for 2003 thru 2009
• First female of any American IPF affiliate to open with a 500+ pound deadlift (12.11.04)
• First female in the World and American (male or female) to win both Open IPF Worlds and Open IPF Bench Worlds in the same year. (2004)
• First female in the USA Powerlifting/ADFPA history to break 600 Wilks formula(scoring 615) ~ Feb 1, 2004
• Only USA Powerlifting female to-date to have over 600 Wilks formula.

Highlights/Memorable Events

• My first two meets.. so lost, yet so memorable.. it obviously kept me hooked.
• First Worlds.. it was a whirlwind and the fastest meet of my life..so nervous, and so thankful for the friends and great coaches that helped me through it. Then traveling around with the team sightseeing.. that was the best of times!
• Setting my first WR at the 2004 Nationals.. it was the big break over the hill in my lifting career.
• Winning worlds in 2004. Won over two Ukrainians and a Russian.. they played “Born In the USA every time I hit the platform, although the song has its meaning, hearing the “Born in the USA and the crowd jacked, was awesome. Hearing the song today takes me back to that awesome day in France.
• Each winning Worlds and WR set.
• Walking through the Opening and Closing ceremonies with thousands and thousands of spectators at the World Games. It was breathtaking.
• Being inducted into the IPF Hall of Fame
• Receiving the Brother Bennett award.

Who influenced you in powerlifting?

• Joel Legard, my first work our partner and mentor in the sport
• The perfectionists at executing their lifts of excellence, Jenn Maile, Bettina Alitzer and the Russian.. all of them.
• Larry Maile, who coached me to the top.
• Harriet Hall who shows age has no bounds

Contribution in Powerlifting:

• Women’s Executive Member 2002 to current
• Women’s World Team Manager 2005-2009
• Women’s Hall of Fame Committee member 2004 to present
• Athlete’s Rep 2002 to 2005
• Marketing Committee Chair (2011)
• State Chairman 2001
• State Referee
• Meet Director
• Assistant Webmaster
• IPF Athletes Commission Committee member
• Active participant in the USA Powerlifting National Governing
• Creator of the USA Powerlifting Women’s Team Calendar fund raiser project, 2002-2004
• USA Powerlifting volunteer Project Manager, assisting in the implementation of the USA Powerlifting e-store, USA Powerlifting merchandising program, online and printed newsletter and Arnold Sports Festival competitions.

As your name goes down in history, what would you like to be most remembered for?

Making a significant footprint in the sport, not only with my lifting, but also my contributions back to the sport.

What words of wisdom would you like to pass down to the future female powerlifters?

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Take lifting to the next level, if local, shoot for Nationals, if given a chance to lift International, seize it; if young or old, raise the bar for yourself and lift in the Opens. It is easy to stay in your comfort zone. I broke out when World Team member Liz Willett told me two weeks out of Open Worlds, a slot on the team had opened. I jumped at the opportunity, contacted the Team Coach, received approval to go and the rest has been an amazing ride in the sport.

Sponsors of Women’s Hall of Fame:

• USA Powerlifting Womens’ Hall of Fame Fund
• Titan Support Systems
• PLGearOnline
• Con-Cret
• Quest Nutrition
• George Marts