Written by Ivy Knight

It’s been a week since our dear friend and teammate, Renee, passed away. As I watched the live stream of her memorial, I was reminded of the fun times we had with Renee. If you knew Renee or even just followed her on Instagram you know she was the life of the party and there was always a party. I remember chatting with her when she turned 30, she said that no matter what happened, her goal in life was to love it. She wanted to experience new things, new places, and especially new foods. We would often talk of meeting somewhere new to both of us and doing a food crawl. We never did and now we won’t be able to. As I thought about our conversations and watched her family mourn their loss, I thought about what this meant for me.

When something happens, whether it’s as simple as an argument with my husband or as serious as the loss of a loved one, I always try and find a lesson- something that will help me grow as a person. Losing Renee has taught me to not take life for granted and to live it to the fullest. I promised myself yesterday to take breaks and appreciate the present, to appreciate the people in my life who are always there for me, even if I mostly see them on the internet, to appreciate inside jokes and funny memes, and to laugh often. That’s the thing I’ll miss most miss about Renee is her infectious life.

I ugly cried yesterday but I also smiled thinking about my friend. The first female powerlifter that I felt akin to. One of the first to tell me that she was proud of the community that we were building, that she was proud of me. I wouldn’t be writing this if it wasn’t for Renee because Girls Who Powerlift wouldn’t be a thing. I will miss my friend but I will hold her in my heart forever and live more fully because of her.