For Pawleys Island resident Amy Stevens, a journey to better health has become less about the weight on the scale and more about the weight on the bar.
Stevens earned four first-place awards and set six state records at the USA Powerlifting South Carolina State Championship, held Saturday, Dec. 12, in Fort Mill. The 43-year-old claimed top honors in her age and weight category by lifting a total of 556.5 pounds through three lifts – the squat, the bench and the deadlift.
She set state records in the Raw Master 1A division (female lifters ages 40-44) for each of the three lifts, total amount lifted and in the separate bench press only competition. She also broke a previous state record in the raw open division (all female lifters) in bench press only with a successful lift of 154.25 pounds.
A powerlifting state championship is the last place Stevens, wife of Georgetown Times Executive Editor Mark A. Stevens, would have expected to find herself a few years ago when she weighed more than 360 pounds. Today, however, she says powerlifting is the cornerstone of her fitness routine. She has lost more than 120 pounds, including nearly 70 pounds since she first picked up a barbell a little more than a year ago.
“I’ve been overweight my entire adult life,” Stevens said. “When I made the commitment to myself to become healthier, I changed my eating habits and started exercising by simply walking around the block. Eventually, I added in more exercise and even began running.”
A serious injury to her Achilles tendon in 2013 ended Stevens’ running days. Following surgery and a grueling recovery that lasted more than a year, she had regained some of the weight she’d lost and knew she needed to find a new way to incorporate exercise into her life.
That’s when her friend and now coach Nick McClary introduced her to powerlifting. McClary, a doctor of physical therapy who writes a health and fitness column for the Georgetown Times, is also a competitive powerlifter.
“The first time I put a barbell on my back to squat, I cried,” Stevens said. “Everything hurt – my shoulders, my hips, my knees. I honestly didn’t think I could do it. But slowly, with months of coaching and hard work, I began to get better at each of the three lifts. And I discovered I had a real passion for powerlifting. For me, it’s not like exercise at all. It’s tremendous fun.”
McClary encouraged Stevens to sign up for the December competition, a decision she admits was a big leap of faith.
“I’m still about 60 pounds from my goal weight, and competitive powerlifters have to wear a singlet,” Stevens said. “I think I was more intimidated by that than by the idea of lifting hundreds of pounds. But I knew I needed to do this to prove something to myself, and I’m so glad I did.
“My experience at Saturday’s championship was life-changing. There were around 80 lifters at the meet – everyone from a 9-year-old girl to senior citizens – and there were people in all shapes and sizes. I was welcomed with open arms, and complete strangers cheered me on.
“For the first time in my life, I understood what it feels like to be an athlete. I was proud to be up there as a 43-year-old woman who’s trying to lose weight and get healthier. Winning the awards and setting records was incredible, but that was all secondary. The real victory for me was stepping outside my comfort zone and seeing what I’m capable of.”
Throughout her training, Stevens adopted the mantra, “She believed she could, so she did.” She competed Saturday wearing a bracelet inscribed with that saying. She said the highlight of the competition was when a young girl in the audience asked her for an autograph.
“In that moment, I knew I was doing something important,” Stevens said. “Because that little girl saw women of all ages and sizes being confident, beautiful, empowered and strong. There’s nothing more important than that.”
Now that her first competition is under her belt, Stevens said she is officially hooked on powerlifting. She’s already signed up for her next meet, the 2016 USA Powerlifting Battle on The Border X, to be held March 19 in Fort Mill. The competition pits South Carolina lifters against North Carolina lifters for bragging rights.
“I can’t wait to step back on the platform,” Stevens said. “With every day of training, I’m getting healthier and stronger. It’s just as gratifying to see the weight I can lift go up as it is to see the number on the scale go down.
“Powerlifting has truly given me my life back. I’ve discovered a confidence and strength I never knew I had. I would encourage any woman out there to pick up a barbell and give it a try. You may just amaze yourself with what you can do.”
Courtesy of: South Strand News