ANNVILLE, Pa. – "Once I went to that first meet in July of 2019, that was it," said 1st Lt. Lindsey Boughter, a public affairs officer with the 109th Public Affairs Detachment, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania Army National Guard. "I knew this is what I was supposed to do. It's unlike anything I've done in the past."
Two years ago, an unlikely social media post inspired Boughter's powerlifting journey. After just three months of training, she decided to sign up for her first powerlifting competition and was hooked. Her only intention was to just complete the events.
Since the first competition, Boughter's training regimen was fueled by passion to improve and set her mark on the powerlifting community for women. Her desire and training plan from her coach, Collin Whitney, is what led to her most recent accomplishments.
Boughter competed in Barbell Bash, a United States Powerlifting Association event, Feb. 27 in Conshohocken, Pa.
In an impressively short amount of time, Boughter broke three records in Pennsylvania state women's powerlifting, crushing the competition in the squat, bench, and deadlift categories.
"Of all the things I've done athletically, powerlifting has made me the most confident as a person," said Boughter. "Even though it's an individual sport, it felt more like a team thing because you have people sitting in front of you cheering you on."
The influences to accomplish great feats can come from many sources. For Boughter, it is her father.
"I'd say my dad is a big inspiration for me, not that he was ever athletic, but my dad was a cop for 30 years and worked really hard to support our family," Boughter said. "He's the first good example of a leader that I had in my life."
Boughter said powerlifting has also helped her Army Combat Fitness Test scores.
"I think it is part of our profession to be fit, and the transition to the new ACFT encourages lifting," said Boughter. "I think it's amazing that we're moving towards something that encourages strength."
"I don't ever want to be pigeonholed into a certain type of fit," she said. "While I powerlift, I still do cardio. I fully believe that you can be an all-around athlete, which is something that the Army is trying to encourage."
After proving herself at the state level, Boughter was invited to the Powerlifting National Championships in California. However, COVID-19 health concerns may postpone her trip and chance at a national championship this year.
"Last year around this time, I was working out at a gym," she said. "And then I had to quickly figure out how to transition my training to a home environment, which was challenging."
Boughter is used to training with a spotter. The challenging part for her was figuring out how to squat and bench at home without the help of a spotter.
"You have to be intrinsically motivated," Boughter said about signing up for competitions. "You have to follow through and put the work in."
Boughter offered encouragement for women who may have reservations about incorporating heavier weights into their workouts.
"Don't be scared of heavy weight," she said. "I think the perception is if you lift heavy, you're going to look a certain way or that you might hurt yourself. Or maybe you're intimidated because no one shows you how to do it. You'll never regret getting stronger."
"For example last week when I deadlifted 336 pounds, I thought, wow, if I can deadlift 336 pounds, I can conquer anything else this week throws at me," said Boughter. "That's the hardest thing I'll do all week."