Caitlin Harrier was born six weeks premature in her native Orlando, Fla. She spent her first 12 days in intensive care. Back then she could fit in the palm of her father Tom’s hand.
Flash forward to today and Caitlin is anything but little and has more than enough power.
The 14-year old Reeds Spring freshman can be found just about every evening in her family’s basement pumping iron with her father Tom and her 13-year old brother Nolan.
When most think of powerlifting they think of muscle-bound grown men, but Caitlin is changing that image and is plenty proud of her favorite hobby.
“I think it’s perfectly okay for a girl to do whatever she wants to do and I think Powerlifting is really good because it proves to the guys that not only they can do it, but girls can do it too,” said Harrier.
And Caitlin does it better than every girl her age in the entire world. Literally.
“She has over 50 world and national records in five different federations,” said Tom.
It would be far easier to count the records she doesn’t have then the one’s she does.
“Every age group and division she’s entered she’s set world records.”
At her most recent competition in Springfield Caitlin set six new Southern Powerlifting Federation records; squat (170 lb), bench press (130 lb), deadlift (295 lb) and total weight (595 lb).
A chip off the old block, Caitlin got the bug for Powerlifting watching her dad at just eight years old.
“It made me feel pretty good because I was doing something my dad was doing and it seemed pretty fun.”
And it wasn’t long before Caitlin was one-upping her old man.
“As a senior in high school my best bench press was 120 pounds,” said Tom, who took up powerlifting while serving in the Army. “Here Caitlin is at 14-years old and she should hit somewhere between 140 and 145 Saturday.”
Just looking at Caitlin you wouldn’t know it, but the girl packs some punch.
“She’s so quiet you would never know that fire’s inside there, but when she steps up to that platform there’s a transformation,” said Tom.
And the power comes from deep inside.
“When you’re angry about that day or something and you think of something to get you fired up you take it out on that bar and you yell,” said Caitlin. It’s like that explosion of emotion coming out.”
Caitlin is just scratching the surface of her talent. World records and college scholarship offers are on the horizon, but there’s one goal that stands above the rest.
“I want to get above my dad’s level someday, get above that 500 or 600 pound level.”
And you can bet dad will be right there to cheer her on.
Caitlin and the family will seek some new records at the World Natural Powerlifting Federation World Series of Powerlifting in Kissimmee, Fla. June 25. Then it’s on to the Worlds held in New Jersey this November.
