From Earthquakes, Mountains Rise…Stories of Strong Women! Part 2

This is part 2 to a post that started when I came across this meme on facebook….let’s recap from the last post. Be sure to read part 1. This meme made me think about the darkness I have conquered, the earthquakes that have nearly destroyed me, but in the end they helped me build mountains that are lifting me up. Well, at least I try to feel that way, life is still tough at times. I came from being overweight, in chronic pain, finding out I had a potentially disabling genetic condition that I passed to my kids, and severely depressed to now being a national record holding powerlifter. I have written about much of my story in another post. Some day I will tell my full story of the pain I have endured, of nearly letting another person destroy me, how that person doesn’t think what they did was wrong, and still mocks me for my pain to this day…..someday…..but today I am not ready. Today you get to read the many stories of women who have conquered the earthquakes of life and have become strong, and even more amazing. These women have told me their stories and given me permission to share them. Women, we are amazing. We endure, we conquer, and we move forward, but we never forget. We never get over our pain, we just find a place to put it. And sometimes, we take those earthquakes of life and build beautiful mountains. Here they are, part 2! There will be multiple posts.

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I was sexually assaulted by someone who claimed to love me. At first I packed on as much weight as I could so I would be safe. In 2012 I took one last chance and tried to change my life and joined a gym. In 2015 my coach introduced me to powerlifting. I’ve never looked back. I choose to develop my strength because I will NEVER be a victim again. I will be strong and I will stand up for others who don’t feel they have the strength.

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I needed to get myself back after going through 2 years of an abusive marriage.. Both emotional/verbal and physical that resulted in me becoming addicted to painkillers as a coping mechanism. I needed a way to relieve stress and have some time to myself being a traumatized, scared and anxious single mom of a 15 month old. She’s now 4, and I’ve since completed 10 obstacle course races and got my personal training certification to make fitness truly my life because fitness gave me myself back and helped me find something I didn’t ever think I’d love. It’s the one thing that’s helped me overcome my PTSD, anxiety depression and insecurities. Its helping balance my hormones and manage my insulin resistance caused by PCOS. It gave me a reason to quit smoking in order to be able to really work towards my fitness goals. And it’s setting a good example for my daughter. Instead of watching me kill myself slowly with smoking, she gets to grow up watching me live a healthy lifestyle as well as watch me help others develop a healthy lifestyle. I’ve also gone through over 100 lb weight loss in the last 8 years since i was diagnosed at 21 with PCOS. I used to be almost 300 lbs, and now I’m finally at 185-190 lbs. I get to give back to my current clients after all the help and guidance I received in the early days of my fitness journey. 🙏

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I was fat. My dad died of morbid obesity. Both my sisters, older and younger, are morbidly obese. I decided that’s not how I’m going to die. Just lost weight at first. Husband and I joined a gym, started strength training. Suddenly, I loved a sport, loved the “numbers game”, loved competing with myself. Haven’t entered a meet yet, want to, eventually. I now live for this, it is my solace, my sanctuary, my “me” time. I finally realized that I am worth all the other stupid crap I give up to do this. I’ve been lifting about 16 months now.

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Depression, anxiety, two suicide attempts. I found powerlifting and it saves my life ever since.

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I am a recovery drug addict. I almost died twice, but God had a different plan. First I started running, had never done that before, but watching my daughter run a half marathon I thought I would give it a try. Downloaded Couch25K and I was hooked! Completed several 5/10k races 2 half marathons and one full marathon. Unfortunately, due to several autoimmune diseases (lupus being the worst) I was forced to stop, the pain was to much. I needed another “drug” to get that runners high that filled my soul, and then a friend suggested I would be a good powerlifter, I was 56 at the time and it seemed silly, but once I started I was hooked!

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My story is super simple. I wanted to get strong and not obsess about my weight and what I look like in the mirror. I wanted to feel good about myself in a different way. Powerlifting has allowed me to do this.

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I’m new to lifting. I’ve been consistently exercising for 4 years and always wanted to learn to squat. I was diagnosed with early stage Breast Cancer in April 2016. I had two lumpectomies and 34 radiation sessions. The next summer I decided that I was going to learn form and called a barbell gym. I fell I love with the atmosphere there. I also loved that I felt strong. I’ll be competing in my first charity meet in February, a meet to raise money for cancer research in honor of a member of our gym’s mother who lost her battle with BC in 2014.

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When I got into powerlifting, I hated my body. I also thought I knew it all and that was that. I tried a coach and he ripped my squat apart, and my ego was so bruised that I stopped seeing him. I have lived through disordered eating, depression, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety; lifting was my therapy and my most guarded love. I hated the thought that I wasn’t good at it. But then I realized I wasn’t getting stronger without help. I admitted to myself that I needed help, and I wanted to compete and be strong. If I got stronger on the outside then hopefully maybe I’d get stronger on the inside. I competed in my first meet and started seeing the coach again. Powerlifting has been a testament that no matter how many challenges I come up against, if I keep fighting, if I don’t quit, I will overcome them. Sorry if that was disjointed; I have a lot of passion for this sport so it’s tough to cut it down to only a couple paragraphs.

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Having always been the fat kid in school— I was used to being overweight — and in a family of fat parents, siblings, etc., you don’t really care. But then by the time I was in high school and my mom was morbidly obese — and acting like she was in her 80s when she was barely 50, something clicked. I started watching what I ate, and moving/exercising. Mom eventually had stomach bypass surgery but even today at nearly 70, she moves worse than my nearly 95 year old grandfather because her hips and knees are shit from being obese. Especially once I started having kids, prioritizing my health had to stay at the top of my personal list. I’ve done a little of everything since the switch flipped in 2000, but I’ve been powerlifting since April 2017 and by far nothing else has given me the brute strength to deal with my three kiddos and be so PRACTICAL for the rest of my life too.

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I had 3 cervical spine surgeries – a now ex-husband who told me he was disappointed when I didn’t die… I was fat and depressed but PL helped me to get my life back! I love this sport and I love being strong 💪.

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As with so many of you-of us- I have faced multiple challenges. But I am a small woman with a great deal of strength. At age 53 I suffered a devastating orthopedic injury. While skiing, I ate it hard and and suffered a grade three hamstring tear in my right leg and a complete rupture of my left hamstring. I was off work for seven months. In a brace for 16 weeks. I derive my mental and physical health from regular and extreme exertion so this was extremely very B A D. And my beautiful dog died. I am a emergency flight medicine Respiratory Therapist and my work is extremely physical. My PD states I must lift 100 lbs. So. Two things. I resolved I would become strong enough to never suffer such an injury again, if at all possible. And I would be strong enough to continue the work I love. I am still too anxious to resume skiing, but I can deadlift my bodyweight. And I have donned my six inch heels with confidence. I continue my quest to become stronger than I have ever been. And stronger than any other woman I know.

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