Imagine an entire day filled with awesome women, doughnuts and heavy lifting. That’s what Camp Uplift Chicago was in a nutshell. Truthfully it was 1000 times better and to put it that simply would really be putting the day in the smallest nutshell ever.

When I started GWPL, my aim was to get women who powerlift together. At the time, it was through social media. Then I realized that the world of women’s powerlifting stretched wider than I had ever imagined. It soon became apparent through all the love and support that I received and that was shown to other women, my next goal was to take this community off of the internet and put in real life.

Everything from the city of Chicago, to the location, B&W Gym to the instructors was more than I could’ve ever hoped for. B&W Gym couldn’t have been more perfect. It was every lifters dream! It was downright beautiful in its old iron rusted and basement feeling way. I can’t thank Dennis Brady enough for keeping the history of powerlifting alive and well in that gym. Leanna Carr, Sammi Johnson, and Laura Phelps-Sweat, spent their time with each and every attendee, teaching and explaining every lift. To think that they took all of their knowledge and shared it with everyone there is something that I will forever be grateful for.

And although the day was not perfect, no event, especially the first event, ever is, all the ladies that came out left with smiles on their faces! We laughed, we cried… some of us more than others (sorry, I’m a cry baby), we hugged and we lifted heavy!! It was truly a day we will all remember forever!

Camp Uplift is about lifting each other up. It’s about being the example of what support means in the world of powerlifting and in the world in general. I learned a lot about myself that day and I regained my faith in this sport and the people in it.

We look forward to many more in the future and if you missed Chicago, make sure you don’t miss the next one. Information about the next Camp Uplift will be announced in the coming months! Thank you to everyone who made it to the first one, I hope we will see you again and I look forward to meeting so many more of you in the future! #UpliftandLiftHeavy