Cary's Natalie Richards sets World Record, unlocks physical and mental strength through power lifting
Posted June 28, 2023 11:42 p.m. EDT
"It's really fun to go up to four hundred pounds and be like 'I think I could lift this'," Natalie Richards said as she loaded up a bar with weights totaling more than what she'd register on a scale. At 5'2 and 125 pounds she's not the biggest, but pound for pound she's one of the strongest people on the planet.
"It's been a wild ride," Richards said with a smile. "It's far from over for sure."
It's hard not to smile after what she just accomplished. The twenty-four year old from Cary, NC just set a world record at the 2023 International Power Lifting Federation (IPF) World Championships in St. Julian's, Malta. Her bench, squat and dead lift total of 512.5 kilograms broke the previous record by nine kilograms in the 57 kilogram weight class. Her best squat was 180 kilos (396.8 lbs), best bench was 107.5 kilos (237 lbs), and her best deadlift was 225 kilos (496 lbs).
"It was a very nerveracking experience, but it was very, very exciting," Richards said. "I've worked for this for years, it's nice to kind of show out a little bit."
Now Richards is back training in Charlotte where she also works as a powerlifting coach. Growing up she competed in a variety of sports like gymnastics, volleyball and softball. She ran varsity track at Green Hope High School in Cary. She started powerlifting as a hobby at NC State after a friend suggested she give it a try.
"I started getting into it and it's like an addiction," Richards said. "Once I started doing it, I was like I've really got to do this."
Powerlifting not only helped Richards get physically strong, but helped her mentally overcome body image issues she was having at college.
"When I went to school and I was on my own for the first time, I really struggled with eating and wanting to be skinny and thin and weigh as little as possible," Richards said. At her lowest she weighed ninety-five pounds.
"I felt like I was able to break that mindset of wanting to be small when I could think about being strong instead," Richards said.
Richards rise in the sport isn't by chance. She records her work outs on her phone and sends them to her coach to make sure she is using proper technique. She trains five days a week and tracks her diet. Although she admits she enjoyed some extra pizza after her success in Europe. She credits her breakout 2023 season to the adversity she faced in 2022.
"I went to my first nationals and I bombed out, I didn't make any deadlifts," Richards remembered. "It was very disappointing to kind of fail, but if I had not failed then and addressed a lot of issues I had with my technique then I don't think I would be here at all."
Now that she's conquered the World Championships, Richards next goal is to win private invitational meets run by sponsors. Her story is proof that with the right science and dedication we are stronger than we think.
"Everyone's going to be different, but if you're looking for a way to feel strong and feel confident about yourself I'd recommend going to the gym," Richards said. "Think about eating to fuel your body to fuel your energy. You're a strong person go out there and let yourself be strong."
