Kelly Murray has been an active athlete since high school, but now it’s all about power.
Murray was eager to try new fitness activities so she started to run track during her school years and then began long distance running in her twenties to thirties which led her to try road biking in her forties.
She was active on her own but wanted something more so she looked into a weight loss and personal training program with Ashley Moore from The Barbelles. This is where her new journey started 2.5 years ago.
“As I was losing weight, I was getting stronger and stronger,” explained Murray. Her focus quickly switched from weight loss to lifting heavy weights. Moore recognized the total amount of weight that Murray was lifting. It was a comparable weight to what lifters were doing in the powerlifting competitions. “So Ashley asked me if I’d like to compete,” said Murray. “Now I am passionate about powerlifting.”
Once Murray began competing she was unstoppable. Her first competition earned her a first place win in the Barrie Open 2017 in the Masters 1 (age group 40-49) in the 63kg weight class, with another first place in the same year at the Barrie Summer Open including a first place win in overall age groups and hitting a qualifying number for Nationals.
In 2018, Murray secured medals in three competitions. She earned herself another first place at the Vault Barbell Open in the Master 1 age group and 63kg weight class, a second place finish at the Central Canadian Championships, and her fourth first place finish at the Ontario Open and Masters Provincials in the Masters 1 age group and 57kg weight class. This win was Murray’s most memorable moment so far as she has set her sights on winning a medal at the Canadian Nationals this year in March 2019.
Kelly Murray’s personal bests in training and competitions are: squat 260lbs, bench 125 lbs, and deadlift 290 lbs.
To be able to lift these types of weights Murray has to train her body to be able to handle such weight as well as protect herself from any injury.
“I train with a powerlifting group two days a week with Ashley Moore from The Barbelles at Beyond Obstacles and at home 2-3 days a week. Training consists of the three basic lifts: back squat, bench press and deadlift as well as accessory work with dumbbells and cable machines with minimal cardio,” said Murray.
With every sport there is always a fear of injury. “When you have a great coach, they teach you that form is number one and they are always tweaking you as need be. There are times when my body gets sore so I rely on Lowell from The Sport Lab to help me recover quickly. I am working on increasing my bench press and staying as healthy as I can,” said Murray.
When Murray powerlifts she feels empowered, energized and overall, fantastic. “When I compete, it’s a whole different ball game, I am hyper focused. When I am on the platform, it’s just me and the weight. I don’t notice the spectators at all.”
As her coach, Moore submits the weight that Murray will lift without her knowing so she can focus on just lifting. “I don’t like to know what the weight is because I know it’s a number that is super heavy or one that I’ve never lifted before,” said Murray. “This allows me to put all of my energy into doing what I came to do: get a personal best.”
Of Murray’s efforts, Moore said, “Kelly is one of the hardest working athletes I’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching. Her fierce competitive nature makes her a force on the powerlifting platform but it’s balanced by an innate passion for helping others, which makes her a great teammate. I couldn’t be more proud of Kelly for all she’s achieved in her short time as a competitive powerlifter.”
Helping others is one of Murray’s goals. “I want to inspire other women to explore how strong they can be,” she said, and it seems that this is what she does for herself and others. Good luck at Nationals 2019, Kelly!
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