In the world of weightlifting, junior Shawn Wilson takes the record. A state title holder soon heading to nationals, Wilson spends his high school days working his way up the scale and aiming for future achievements. As one of the few NC students engaged in the world of powerlifting, he showcases extreme intrinsic motivation and stands out as an unknown student-athlete.
Beginning with consistent public gym visits, Wilson navigated through various hobbies such as rock climbing and eventually found his burning love and dedication for powerlifting his freshman year. Through efforts of self-diligence, Wilson began lifting solo for about a year before moving toward powerlifting. With consistent attendance at the gym, but no specific leadership, he eventually reached a plateau because he did not push himself as hard in a setting with no competition or others at a similar level.
“It’s really good to have a friendly competition with who can lift the most. I was just skinny and got a growth spurt but never gained that weight so I went into lifting like most teenage guys. I think my gym is perfect for me because everyone is familiar with everyone. I feel that powerlifting goes under notice because most athletic boys play baseball, football and soccer, but never really powerlift,” Wilson said.
Because no NC program for powerlifting exists, Wilson works actively to find and build a seemingly limited community that maintains similar interests. He believes finding the right people to work out with makes it worthwhile; he works closely with his friend senior Rami Elommal to aim for improvement. Wilson believes that the switch from generic weightlifting to powerlifting exemplifies the right decision because it allowed him to obtain future goals such as winning state and national championships. He feels that an atmosphere with events and objectives pushes him to work harder.
Competing in the teen two 16-17 age division and 83 kg weight class, Wilson garnered a state title from the USA Powerlifting competition and qualified for nationals held in LA from April 4 to April 7, over NC’s Spring Break. Wilson overcame various challenges when competing at the state level proving his perseverance through uncomfortable feelings and displaying his true fortitude for the sport.
Powerlifting typically includes only about two competitions each year due to long preparation periods. With a process known as a De-load, a period of training meant to reduce overtraining and supply a mental and physical break, amongst an intense and well-thought-out workout plan, the trainees work in a calculated manner to perform well at competitions.
Wilson holds his gym, Marietta Barbell, in high regard due to the mature community that allows him to push himself to the highest extent. Because Wilson competes solo, he must work himself to find a team that pushes him to excel. He recognizes his coach’s positive efforts to craft a strict workout program specifically for him.
“I started lifting with friends from school and then I ended up going to Marietta Barbell, which is a powerlifting style gym, and surrounded myself with all of those people and got inspired by them. I think competitions are almost really similar to training. You just walk out onto the platform and do the same lifts that you’ve been training,” Wilson said.
Because competitions work in categories including squat, deadlift and bench, the lifters train to their best in each section, although the scores average out. Wilson did not perform his best in the bench press but performed well in the other areas so he still managed to gain a title.
Training in volume and building strength each week, Wilson proves to be a hidden gem in Warrior Nation. Proving dedication to himself and his surrounding support each week, Wilson exemplifies a personality with immense dedication admired by countless people. The Chant wishes Wilson luck at nationals!
