BIG RAPIDS- Abigail McLellan is a senior at Big Rapids High School this year, and over the weekend, she signed her letter of intent to continue her athletic career at the next level in powerlifting at McKendree University.
“My first nationals, I went to like some of the booths there, and I didn’t even know that at that point that colleges were offering anything.
So, I just was talking with them and, I went to leave a day early, and Coach Brad from McKendree, he came out and was like, I need to talk to you and don’t leave yet. And that’s really what started my journey of looking for different colleges and just deciding that I actually want to do this, like at the next level" (McLellan).
She began the sport as a freshman, and in her four years of powerlifting, she has broken 24 state records, took double gold in her first World Cup meet, won many local and regional meets and is qualified for high school nationals all four years. It isn’t by luck; McLellan has put in the work.
I like to stay in the gym. So, I normally I’m in there for like three hours, but there’s a lot to do with forms, I think when I’m in it, I’m just trying to listen for all the cues because each lift has a different cue that you have to make.
Sometimes if you hit like a big lift, like with deadlift, you pass out. So, there’s that. But afterwards it’s like amazing because just hitting one PR like during a meet would like to mean first and last place" (McClellan).
And while she was once a trailblazer, the sport has been gaining popularity.
“When I started there, like barely any girls that did it. And now, like, you’re definitely seeing a lot more girls start to get into it, and we’re getting, like, more girls like teams for, like, the collegiate level and stuff” (McClellan).
It’s been a long four years of balancing school with training and travel, but it’s all been worth it to get to the point she’s at now.
McLellan is a favorite to win the Nationals in Killeen, Texas, this coming March before she heads off to McKendree.