“We should remember that good fortune often happens when preparation meets with opportunity.” – Thomas Edison

After this past weekend, this quote rings true. After months and months of tireless preparation, all the pieces fell into place and I had a successful meet at the Arnold, finishing 3rd in the 84-kg/185-pound weight class. My numbers were the following (at 177-pound bodyweight):

SQ: 363-pounds (28-pound personal record)

BP: 204-pounds (11-pound PR)

DL: 369-pounds (22-pound PR)

Total: 936-pounds (89-pound PR)

Although I am thrilled about the big PR’s from my last meet 11 weeks ago, I cannot say that I am surprised. Consistently working hard & smart will result in progress, and that’s a fact. I made a few changes to my mental game going into this past weekend and managed to have a lot of success from the changes. There is something surreal about living in the moment that you have anticipated for months. After spending hours thinking, envisioning, and wondering what the view from the platform would be like, finally the time came to do the damn thing and I have almost no memory of it. As absurd as it sounds, I’m thankful that there is footage of the day or I might wonder if it actually happened.

The weekend was full of Powerlifting at the highest level that I’ve ever seen.. I shared the platform and rubbed elbows with Powerlifting legends, made new friends, and witnessed some incredible lifting. Being amongst those people is both humbling and inspiring. The common denominator among everyone is devotion to this sport, no matter if they’ve been at it 1 year or 30 years. This weekend was the best experience I’ve had in Powerlifting thus far and I am really excited to continue pursuing this sport with such a great community.

I’ve had many questions about what is next for me. First, April 26th is the Alaska State Powerlifting Championship in Anchorage, and then second, I’ll be competing at Raw Nationals in Denver on July 19th. Preparation for these upcoming meets has begun. It started with writing goals down on paper – something I have never done for Powerlifting. Goals do not just have to be quantifiable, they can be softer in nature. I have lots of improvements to make… Things can always be better.

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”  – Robert Louis Stevenson