Meet Kristina-Marie Coleman: self-trained weightlifter

Courtesy of Kristina-Marie Coleman

 

Courtesy of Kristina-Marie Coleman
Courtesy of Kristina-Marie Coleman

Freshman Kristina Marie-Coleman set the World Record for Women’s Bench and Deadlift — “Push/Pull” in her division at the 2016 World Championships hosted in Erie, Pennsylvania last month.

Coleman set a personal record of 374.7 lbs. in the deadlift and 194 lbs. in benching, placing her in first at the competition hosted by the 100% RAW Powerlifting Federation.

“Knowing that I had self-discipline over the years has really taught me to know that I am capable of achieving my dreams no matter what,” Coleman said. “No matter how many times I fail, hard work really does pay off in terms of defeating yourself.”

Coleman is currently pursuing a degree in exercise science. She said she thinks weightlifting and training will make her more successful in her future career, which she hopes to center around traveling as a personal trainer and reducing childhood obesity.

Coleman said she was first introduced into the sport in high school when she enrolled in the Olympic Weightlifting class.

“When I noticed I was good at it I Googled information on how to train because I wanted to start competing,” Coleman said.  “It makes me feel invincible and there are not that many strong females that lift at all, so it feels good to do something out of the ordinary — something that people don’t really do.”

She said weightlifting is as competitive as other sports because it pushes limits as an athlete and a woman, but finding success is worth the challenge.

“It’s the most amazing feeling in the world to me knowing that I have had only myself as a support system,” she said. “My dad was there for most of the time, but other than that I would constantly get knocked down.”

Coleman said the stigma around women weightlifters hasn’t phased her throughout her journey. She said some people have told to stop or to lift light to reduce the appearance of muscles making her look “manly,” but Coleman said it’s no reason for her to stop doing what she loves.

“People would always say things like I look too manly or weightlifting is only a man’s sport and that I should be doing something less dangerous to my femininity,” Coleman said.

Coleman said her next big plans include competing in the Women’s Physique Bodybuilding Competition in summer 2017.


Keyris Manzaneras, Contributing Writer

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