Prattville power lifter is a world champ

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) - Andrea Armstrong was just a teenager when her life took a major turn.

“That’s why I started doing this,” said powerlifter Andrea Armstrong. “My father passed away. I knew I didn’t have the strongest person in my life anymore. I had to be strong for myself and my family.”

Even before her dad passed, Armstrong was always in the gym and competing.

“I was a wrestler in junior high school and a couple of months in high school before I was home-schooled. After that, I did boxing and MMA for three years,” Armstrong said.

It didn’t take long to see powerlifting was her thing. She’s now one of the best in the world.

“You have to be relentless and almost fearless. If you’re not careful, the weights can crush you,” Armstrong said.

The only crushing going on is her crushing the competition. In November, she qualified for the International Powerlifting League championships in Australia. It would be her first time on a plane.

“I flew with Qantas, 16 hours across the ocean,” Armstrong said.

It didn’t take her long to realize she was ready.

“During warmups, as we were in the back getting the weights racked, I was like ‘I’m going to dominate this’,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong wasn’t wrong.

“I had a world record squat at 336 pounds, I bench pressed 192 pounds, and I deadlifted a world record 391 pounds,” Armstrong said.

She won a number of events and was named the best overall female lifter.

“The atmosphere is addicting. It’s the best thing in the world. Even your competitors want you to do better than what you are,” Armstrong said.

Now back in the states, it’s back to work. She knows dad would be so proud.

“He’s flipping in his grave. He would have never imagined this,” Armstrong added.

Just a little girl from Prattville, who’s grown up to be one of the most powerful women in the world, literally.

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