Girl’s weightlifting popularity growing in Collier County

Wednesday morning the gym floor at Gulf Coast High School was covered with girl’s weightlifting teams from Lee and Collier Counties competing in the district meet.

Participation in the sport is booming in Collier County since it was first offered in schools three years ago.

Take Lely for example.

“I had three girls. We whittled down to one girl that just kept coming and liked it, but you know what? We did it. We got through the whole season,” Lely Girl’s Weightlifting Head Coach Zach Greenwood said. “The second year we had four girls. After that, this year, we’re up to 20 so it’s growing like wildfire.”

Gulf Coast has grown from numbers in the teens to 28 strong.

“They’re seeing the overlap from competing and weight lifting, lifting heavy weights, to helping their other sports,” Gulf Coast Girl’s Weightlifting Head Coach Zack Mason said. “Some girls don’t do other sports and this is a sport where almost any girl can do and it kind of empowers them.”

Gulf Coast senior Sydney Williams joined the team three years ago and now has her eyes set on states.

“You’re there to just improve yourself and you’re competing against yourself,” Williams said. “You’re just competing for that next PR.”

When she’s not hitting new a personal record herself she’s rooting on the other girls on the floor no matter what team they’re on.

“You’re motivating other people, you’re constantly cheering on everybody, no matter what team they are, no matter what weight class they are, what jersey they are wearing, it doesn’t matter in this sport,” Williams said.

Because weightlifting is all you versus the bar and the community is what encourages the girls to keep lifting heavy.

Now that districts are over, the girls that qualified are onto regionals.

At Wednesday’s district meet, Naples won traditional style and Gulf Coast won Olympic style.