Lara is a four-time IPF World Champion Powerlifter. It took her a long time to get there and it wasn’t that long ago that she could be described as a typical stay-at-home mom. Watch this video for her full story!

In 2003, Lara was a stay-at-home mom needing to lose baby weight. She started her transformation through traditional bodybuilding and after losing body fat and gaining muscle she began competing in NPC Figure. After completing for the first time she was hooked and started training with an IFBB Pro bodybuilder and competed seriously, sometimes on the national level, for the next four years.

As an athlete and trainer using traditional “globo” gym methods, once Lara discovered CrossFit she immediately knew she could no longer train her clients in a globo gym nor could she compete in a sport that rewarded looks over performance.

Lara is a CrossFit Level 1 Certified Trainer and also has her CrossFit Kids certification, CrossFit Olympic Lifting, and CrossFit Mobility certification. She is also a USAPL Club Coach and a USAPL State referee.

In 2012, when picking up heavy stuff started to really get fun, Lara decided to try competing in a USAPL Powerlifting meet. Since then, she has competed in several meets and now holds over 20 state records. She is also very proud of the fact that many other state records are held by CFJC athletes!

In May of 2013, in her first meet as an equipped lifter, she placed 3rd at the USAPL Women’s Nationals. Six weeks later in July of 2013, Lara represented Team USA at the IPF Pan American Powerlifting Championships where she went 9 for 9, won a gold medal and the award for Best Masters Lifter. She also set 6 new state records – including the Open Total record for women in the 148 weight class with her 903lb total.

Lara competed at the Georgia State Championships in November 2013 where she set 10 new state records and a new USAPL American Record with her 355lb squat in the Masters 60k (132lb) weight class. In April of 2014 she represented Team USA at the IPF Masters World Bench Press Championships in Great Britain and brought home a Bronze Medal with her 220lb bench press.

In September 2014 Lara competed at the IPF World Masters Championships in Pilsen / Czech Republic. At 46 yr/M1 lifter and a bodyweight of 138#  she squatted 402# bench pressed 220# and deadlifted 380# totaling over 1000#. This was enough to put her on the podium with a Gold medal clinching her first Word Championship title! Click here to see all 9 of her World Championship lifts in high quality video.

In October of 2014 Lara was named GA USAPL’s Lifter of the Year for her accomplishments. Lara won the title of 2015 USAPL National Champion in both the Open and the Master’s 63k class and then went on to win the IPF Master’s World Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2018.

She was featured in an article in WODTalk magazine – read it here.