It took less than a year of powerlifting competition for Robin Micheli to become a world record-holder.
In just her fourth event since taking up the sport last fall, the 2014 Dixie Heights High School graduate actually established three new standards for her age and weight class.
Micheli, 19, won her division at the Southern Powerlifting Federation/Global Powerlifting Committee World Championships on Sept. 13 in Las Vegas, establishing world records with a squat of 402.3 pounds, a bench press of 203.9 pounds and a three-event total of 936.9 pounds. She executed a deadlift – where a loaded barbell is lifted off the ground to the hips, then lowered back to the ground – of 330.7 pounds, but did not set a record in that event.
“I pinched a nerve in my lower back a month ago, so I haven’t been able to deadlift or squat heavy,” said Micheli, who was competing in the 181.9-pound weight class. “I did fine with the bench press, but I missed my second squat because I didn’t listen for the start call. I knew if I didn’t get 400, I would be disappointed, so I went for it. I had some doubts, but I pushed through it. Surprised is probably a good way to describe it, but I was really excited.”
Micheli began powerlifting when she arrived at Eastern Kentucky University last fall and discovered they had a club team for the sport. She immediately joined and attended her first competition in October.
“She got into it last year at school and just got obsessed with it,” said her father, Steve Micheli. “It’s pretty amazing how well she’s done in such a short time.”
Then again, lifting felt natural to her even back in high school, when she started weight training at a local gym as a junior.
She learned on her own, asking other lifters around her for some guidance, but never took it seriously enough to believe she would ever compete as a powerlifter.
“I started to learn the ropes of lifting junior year of high school, but I didn’t know what I was doing, and then I was doing more cardio than weight training until I heard about the team at Eastern Kentucky,” Micheli said. “It was something I started off pretty strong. I have huge, muscular legs and a naturally strong build, so it wasn’t too hard for me.”
Now a sophomore at EKU, Micheli still participates with the club team but also sought out personal coaching from Matt Quinn, of Quinn Powerlifting in Danville, to help take her training to the next level.
Quinn met Micheli last October and then saw her at another event in February. Micheli hadn’t added a lot of strength by that point, he said. He invited her to join his program, and in 12 weeks, she had added 170 pounds to her lifts.
“Most people only add 30 to 40 pounds in that time,” Quinn said. “She has a lot of raw, natural talent. If she stays with it, the sky is the limit for what she can accomplish.”
In May, she will take on a new challenge, trying her hand at bodybuilding at a physique show coinciding with Kentucky Derby weekend. Micheli said she will need to switch up her training a little to incorporate bodybuilding into her powerlifting regimen. Bodybuilding is more about building muscle mass than adding strength.
The bikini portion of the show also will require a strict nutrition and diet plan 12 weeks out from the event, with emphasis on cutting fat. Her boyfriend, Chris, is a bodybuilder and will help her prepare.
“Powerlifters don’t worry about diet unless they are trying to cut weight for a competition,” Micheli said. “So it will be a new challenge for sure.”
Micheli is thankful for the path she has found for herself, especially after bouncing around different high schools and never quite settling in. Up through eighth grade, she played volleyball, but Micheli said she felt “too awkward” going out for the team after switching schools multiple times.
Lifting is something she feels like she was always meant to do, and it’s provided perhaps a new sense of confidence and achievement.
“It’s something I really enjoy,” Micheli said. “I definitely plan to keep it up, and we’ll just see where it takes me.”
