Special Olympics athlete Lexie Higa trains for her upcoming powerlifting competition. Higa has been training for three years now and believes she is finally ready for provincial qualifications.
The sweat drips from your forehead as you lean over picking up the heavily weighted bar. Your feet lock into place and with a single swift movement, you lift the weight off the floor. Your face begins turning red and your arms start to shake as you drop the weights. A smile extends from ear to ear as you have just lifted a new personal record.
For Lexie Higa, a Special Olympics athlete, this was an extraordinary feeling. Higa was diagnosed with cognitive disabilities at a young age, causing her to give up on a lot of sports. She thought she wasn’t good enough to play.
After years of looking for a hobby, Higa fell in love with the sport of powerlifting and began training.
“I like to give 150 per cent in everything. I keep pushing myself and pushing myself and when you see the end result, you see that you get out what you put in,” said Higa in response to why she started powerlifting.
Higa has been training for the Special Olympics powerlifting competition for the past three years and is excited to compete.
“I wanted a strengthening sport because I noticed I have always been very strong physically. So I want to apply that to something I can be successful in,” said Higa. “I have been overall pretty happy with what I have accomplished so far.”
Karen Chipman, a powerlifting coach for the Special Olympics has been with the team for just over 10 years now. She was brought into the competitions and training when her own son trained for the Special Olympics many years ago.
Chipman has been working closely with Higa as she believes that it is pretty rare to have a female powerlifter.
“She’s very motivated. I’m just really impressed and the Special Olympics powerlifting is really good for female athletes because there is not a lot of them, so they really have more opportunities than athletes in bowling or swimming,” said Chipman.
Higa completed her first lifting competition last year but is hoping to do better this year.
“This year will be qualifying. So I’m going to try and qualify for provincials next year. So I am really pushing hard at that. I am working on it at home as well,” said Higa.
The dedicated athlete is currently training every Monday to be ready for the upcoming competitions and is excited no matter the results.
“I’m excited, but nervous at the same time. When you are in front of a lot of people, it gets unnerving, but as long as you focus on what you’re doing and regardless of what happens you do your best then, whatever happens, happens,” she said.
Higa’s next Special Olympics powerlifting competition will be held in Lethbridge at the end of June.