USAWA

By Christopher Lestan

In every competitive lifter’s career, they must overcome some type of adversity. It may involve personal troubles, financial issues, or some type of nagging injury. Sometimes the troubles we face may even break us, or even mentally cripple us. However, the strongest always find a way to fight through these troubles that loom over them. In some instances, we can become even better. It’s in these situations you really find out what type of lifter, athlete, and person you really are.

This is my story.

In high school, I had just become one of the best lacrosse goalies Westwood High had ever had. I even lead my team to the quarter-finals of the state championships which had never happened in Westwood history, and only had loses against state champions. Going into college I felt invincible. I joined the rugby team there and my incoming class helped Roanoke Rugby become a top-three contender in division two club rugby even being voted All-Star in the conference. Overall, my ego was probably the highest it ever was. That is when it all fell apart.

In the final game of the season, I was tackled at the knee on my right leg while running for a loose ball. Immediately there were four or five loud “Cracks”! I fell in pain and agony. Most people ask me if I felt pain and in all honesty, I couldn’t feel my right leg. Within two hours I was in the ER with a giant cast over my leg. I was in so much shock, pain, and stress that I don’t remember much of the ER. Fast forward two days later I had an MRI done on my right leg and finally had the answer to what was wrong with my leg and it was truly awful. I ruptured my patella tendon, torn my ACL, PCL, LCL, MCL, and Lateral Meniscus. In one hit to the knee I had 6 damaged tendons. Luckily I was seen by the Virginia Tech Surgeon who happened to know my coach at the time, but he even said this was probably the worst contact knee injury he had ever seen. Due to the extreme nature of the injury, I had surgery within twelve hours of the MRI.

Fast Forward for almost two weeks and I am talking to my surgeon close to my home in Massachusetts. It is at this moment I received possibly the worst news. The surgeon looked at my in the eyes and stated, “you will probably never be able to play sports, or lift competitively ever again”. I broke down and cried. Sports my whole life have been my avenue to social life. I made my best friends through hard-fought practices when we had to do sprints in the rain, snow, or ninety-degree weather. Sports is where I gained my confidence in lifting during the offseason. The barbell is where I found my greatest strengths. Now I was being told I would never play sports or lift ever again.

This is where I started my journey to overcome adversity. I wanted to prove I can recover and play rugby again. Prove that I can be stronger after the injury than before my injury. The next eight months were nothing but eat, sleep, and rehab. It was my only focus. Its all I cared about. I become obsessed. By the start of the spring rugby season of my sophomore year, I was cleared to play rugby again. The injury happened in April and by January I had been cleared by my surgeon. The turn-around was so impressive that even my coach who had been involved in rugby for twenty years couldn’t believe I was playing again.

Within two years after the injury, I achieved my first 500-pound squat in a USA Powerlifting meet. Fast-Forward to April 2019 and I hit Personal Records in a National Powerlifting Meet. Fast Forward in May, where I competed in USAWA 2019 Heavy Lifts Championships. Fast Forward to this June I just competed at the USA Nationals.

This is why lifting is important to me personally, and to any other athlete who has been to some type of adversity. The barbell makes you stronger. The barbell doesn’t mock or make fun of your current situation. It is there to make you better. To fight back. The barbell is what has kept me believing that will be back and be stronger!

Ever since that experience, I have had an edge whenever I compete. I am, according to my surgeon, not suppose to be able to Olympic Lift, Powerlift, and run faster than I did before my injury. Yet I do. Whenever I step on the platform I remind myself of how much rehab, pain, and mental struggle I had to get back to the platform.

The moral of this story is that lifters and athletes who go through struggles similar to mine find a way to fight back to the top. It’s what makes us true warriors of Iron. We live and breath this lifestyle of fighting against all obstacles and defeating it whether it be the barbell or troubled life. These moments are what defines us. We will do whatever is possible to be back on that platform, for it is our passion and our pride. It whats makes us competitors. These moments are also the moments we remember the most and take the most pride with.

In the end, adversity makes us stronger!