Being a woman in a sport dominated by men is no easy task, but for Emily Reester ’24, powerlifting is a passion she is determined to do despite the obstacles.
“A lot of it is just knowing that you are capable, no matter who tells you what,” Reester said. “Women tend to be very fearful of being in the gym with other guys who are much older, big or strong, and it can be really intimidating, but at the same time, the environment of powerlifting is extremely supportive.”
In powerlifting, the goal is to lift as much as possible and to obtain personal records. It enables individuals to build body mass and strength.
St. Joe’s Barbell Powerlifting Club held its seventh annual meet last November, where they raised over $700 for Mental Health America, a community-based nonprofit headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. The contest had two first-place winners, one female and one male. The first-place female category winner was Reester, who broke two personal records during the meet.
Reester’s lift consisted of a 235-pound squat, and a 265-pound deadlift. Reester also benched 110 pounds, which brought her total weight to 610 pounds. Reester began heavy lifting over a year ago, thanks to her friend Tammy Megedyuk ’22, who is in her first year in St. Joe’s physician assistant program.
Megedyuk met Reester at the University of the Science’s Barbell Club, now combined with St. Joe’s.
“She saw how hard I pushed myself, so she started to push herself too,” said Megedyuk.
Reester said Megedyuk is a huge role model for her.
“She was the one that got me roped into all of it, and she has helped me feel confident in myself and feel confident in my strength and pushed me more than I think anyone else,” Reester said.
Reester’s roommate, Rachel Dicks ’24, was at the meet when Reester won.
“I was so excited for her because it was all of her hard work paying off,” Dicks said. “She hit two PRs on her list, which was such an amazing accomplishment for her. She was really excited when she was able to lift more weight than she expected.”
Reester said she wants to inspire others and show them they are capable of anything.
“I will be a little busy, but I’m hopeful to actually compete in a professional meet,” Reester said.
