Baker's Choice Highlight: Caitlyn Blair
KFKF: Hi Caitlyn, tell us about your fitness journey!
Caitlyn: My journey into the sport of powerlifting started back in 2016 when I was a sophomore in college. At the time, I had gained a ton of weight and just wasn’t feeling like myself anymore. This inspired me to start a sport that I would later realize had a pivotal place in my heart. You see, Powerlifting saved me. It saved me from the insecurities that consumed me and from the negative thoughts that were replaying in my head on a day-to-day basis.
KFKF: Thank you for getting vulnerable. That's truly profound to see how your powerlifting journey was life changing both physically and mentally.
Caitlyn: Definitely! I had accomplished so much with the years I had dedicated to the sport. I was committed on getting stronger and it led me to compete in the International Powerlifting League Worlds Championship in the 165lb weight class! I placed 3rd and was just always looking for the next competition!
KFKF: What a beast!! That was actually the first time we met! (We sponsored IPL World's) Can you tell us about your journey back to the platform after becoming a mom?
Caitlyn: Fast forward to 2021 when I find out that I was pregnant. It was honestly a whirlwind experience. I had always wanted to be a mom, and the fulfilling joy I felt in that moment of knowing that I finally had a chance become one, was an unforgettable feeling.
...But it also reminded me I really couldn’t compete and I’d be out for a year. My body started to transform, but that didn’t stop me going into the gym and moving weight despite what anybody else’s opinions might’ve been on it. Fun fact: I even benched 200 pounds while eight months pregnant.
December 25, 2021 was probably the best day of my entire life. My son was born and then almost immediately after that, I hopped right back into training. I competed again six months later, and it was just mind blowing to come back from literally having a whole human inside of me (growing, forming, and pushing it out lol) and then to just be able to go right back onto the platform and perform some of the better numbers that I’ve had in a while was really amazing for me.
KFKF: Congratulations! That's awesome to see you continued safely exercising while pregnant. And getting back on the platform after 6 months post partum? What an accomplishment! How has your perspective and mentality changed after becoming a mom?
Caitlyn: Now, I have another purpose for powerlifting, competing, lifting heavier, and achieving all of my goals in life. I want to impress my son. I want to show him how strong his mommy is out here and how she's doing it all by herself. Now, it’s not about getting smaller and feeling better in my body, it’s about moving the heaviest weight I can -- whatever it takes! I love my body and I'm so grateful for the way that it is now. Especially knowing that I carried a whole human being inside this body (I know, insane right?!)
Having fun, being back on the platform, and having my son out in the audience watching me is an experience I can’t wait to keep having. Who knows.. maybe one day he’ll join me on the platform too!
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