Powerlifting. Not many people know about this specific sport and how difficult it can be to manage and succeed at this sport. Powerlifting is a mental and physical game that can take a toll on one’s mind and psyche, but if you put your mind to it and the effort, it can be a very amazing experience to succeed at. 

There are many famous powerlifters such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kristy Hawkins, Mark Henry, and of course Edward Ignatius Coan. All of these people had one thing in common, become as strong as can be and well, I think they have succeeded in mine and their expectations. But aside from all those famous powerlifters, there is one person in mind that deserves some recognition for her amazing strength and dedication to the sport, Kalani Higa!

Kalani is a 14-year-old freshman at Tahoma High School and has been powerlifting since she was 13 years old, the reason Kalani started lifting and working out because she wanted to get stronger for softball, which she has been playing since she was nine years old, and wanted to be able to get more in-depth in her work ethic for softball. ¨I wanted to get stronger for softball, I never intended to start powerlifting, but I just wanted to grow strength for my main sport.¨ It seems like without softball, she would have never found her passion for lifting. Kalani has also had multiple PRs such as 264.5 for squats, 115.7 for benches, and 332.9 for deadlifts. I can certainly see a future for professional powerlifting. 

Being a multitasker is very hard, but Kalani is very good at doing multiple things at once. She can manage school, softball, powerlifting, and socialize with friends all at once, but when it comes to managing more than one thing at once, it can be hard to not have one thing affect the other. Kalani stated she never really had a problem with softball affecting weightlifting but if she had never done softball, then she never would have found weightlifting. ¨The only reason softball impacted weightlifting was just because I started working out for softball, so if it wasn’t for softball I wouldn’t have found my love for softball.¨ 

Kalani’s dad, Grant Higa, is also a major powerlifter, he’s been in multiple powerlifting meets and has had multiple American Records and PRs (Personal Record) in his career, such as 805 for squats, 479.5 for benches and 755 for deadlifts. Kalani talked about how her dad was the biggest help and inspiration for her newfound interest in lifting, ¨He has such a reputation for it and he definitely helps me with all the work that I put in.¨ It’s just like powerlifting was in her blood and she was meant to do it. When asked about her dad and if he has ever pressured her at all, Kalani was very fast in her response, ¨Oh no he has definitely not pressured me in anything because he knows that I am a pretty independent person so he knows that if he pressures me into anything I’ll automatically say no.¨ Kalani surely made her mind up when it comes to her work ethic and how she wants things to go. 

Powerlifting is a sport that isn’t as recognized as baseball, football, and or soccer, but it is a sport that needs to be more recognized. Not many sports are physical and mental games as well as competitive but powerlifting is that and much more. ¨Many people only workout to just work on themselves but not as something that could be a competition, and I think it should be more known because it’s a good community and a small one and I think it would be good if it grew.¨ The powerlifting community is a very heartwarming place to be in as well as competing in.

 Kalani and her dad are very dedicated to the sport and have been known for their dedication to it, Kalani’s goal is to be able to spread awareness of the sport and make lifting much more noticeable and grow the community as much as possible, powerlifting can be dangerous and risky, but when you put the effort and put your mind to it, it will be one of the most exciting and sublime experiences of your life.