A lot of weight has been lifted off Ms. Cool’s shoulders as of late…and it took a lot of strength to do so.
Simcoe powerlifter Teighan McIntyre recently returned from the Ontario Junior/Sub-Junior Provincial Championship event with a lot of accomplishments.
McIntyre placed first overall in the Women Classic 63-kilogram division with a total overall score of 348 points and Wilks number of 375.1. At the event, which took place Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Hamilton, the powerlifter recorded 67.5 kilograms in squats, 70 kilograms in bench press and 153 kilograms in deadlift. The combined total from the three events helped McIntyre break a national total record.
“I have the highest total of all 63kg junior women in Canadian history which is kind of cool,” McIntyre said during a recent interview.
The road to provincials included competing in five previous meets. McIntyre’s natural body weight is between 145 and 148 pounds (roughly 65.77 kilograms), so in order to make the 63-kilogram weight class, the Simcoe native had to shed anywhere from seven to 10 pounds before the weigh in.
While it doesn’t seem like a lot of weight to lose, the process can be “mentally exhausting.”
“I am really looking forward to eating normally again and actually being able to go out to eat with friends and family,” McIntyre said. “I actually had to bring my own food to our family’s Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas gatherings. Grandma did not like that at all.”
Powerlifting is always part of McIntyre’s regular schedule. She didn’t make any changes to her training regiment in preparation for the Ontario Junior/Sub-Junior Provincial Championship, but there were some hiccups that sidetracked McIntyre a bit — the gym she trained at closed down, so she had to find a new location to continue.
“Whether or not I’m training for a meet I am very consistent with my training,” McIntyre said. “I have a program and I follow it every day. It’s not the training that’s the hardest part, it’s the weight loss. Training and helping others with their programming and training is what I love to do.”
While there’s a thrill behind competing at big events, McIntyre especially loves connecting with her fellow competitors.
“I love the powerlifting community,” she said. “Before and after the meet I love sitting, talking and getting to know the other girls as my friends, not competition.”
But when it’s her turn to lift, like many athletes, McIntyre gets into the zone by warming up and putting on her headphones and listening to music.
“I like to be by myself and with my coach, just getting myself ready to lift,” she said.
With her first place win at provincials, McIntyre has punched her ticket to the Canadian Powerlifting Union National Championship to be held Feb. 15-20 in Regina, Saskatchewan. It will be the first event McIntyre will be participating in as an open lifter — a division in which lifters of any age can enter.
“The competition is very high,” she said. “It will take me a few years to be competitive in the open class but I’m ready to work for it. Being strong is cool.”
Follow McIntyre’s journey to nationals on Instagram at www.instagram.com/TwittyKitty1.
Courtesy of: Simcoe Reformer