(*Long post-#Teamquest on the podium) 3 weeks left before nationals...and everytime I close my eyes...I keep seeing the lights beaming on me...I can see the chalk flying in the air...my senses are at the highest level in this moment, cause everything seems to move in slow motion or is it just the way I perceive time atm? It starts off with the knee wraps...oh god I hated the knee wraps when I first started, but Brooks Conway, as he was wrapping my knees said, "No one gets used to knee wraps". "Oh!", I thought. So I had to love, how much I hate the knee wraps? Got cha.. After that is the expensive suits we wear...goodness, the scars on my arms and legs each time is fairly crazy so its funny when people say they can get that strong too if they have equipement, not knowing that there is a price to pay for your strength and that is at the expense of torture in a sense. I mean who would even think this is fun? Enjoyable? Well...the most satisfying part about equipped lifting is when you lift...everyone lifts with you. When you take a breath...everyone breathes with you in anticipation of the lift because its not guaranteed you can get your opener, even if you can do it 10x easy.The person wrapping your knees, all your friends who also know the pain you are currently in, your coach standing behind you...and the most satisfying part...is the emotions you share at the end of the meet with all those who helped made your lifts happen because you know, it was a group effort. Its difficult to explain what this feels like...but you won't ever know what this euphoric feeling is...if you stay a raw. #singleply #whynotdoboth? #powerlifting #studentofthesport #usapl #hmong #inspire #motivate #passion #mylife