‘Tiny but mighty’ Central student qualifies for world powerlifting competition
January 29, 2015
Erin Murray, a Central junior in exercise science, holds several powerlifting records, including a world record for the bench press.
When thinking of sports, most people think of football, soccer, baseball, basketball — your common sports.
When thinking of powerlifters, people typically think of men.
Erin Murray, a Central junior majoring in exercise science, defies both classifications.
For Murray, powerlifting is not just a hobby. It’s a world-record-holding lifestyle.
“I’m referred to with titles like ‘Little Foot’ or ‘Smalls’ or “Tiny but Mighty,” Murray said.
Growing up as the daughter of two Navy doctors, Murray tried different sports. But none clicked with her until her college days at Washington State University, when an eating disorder forced her to move home to Wenatchee.
Powerlifting helped Murray heal
Powerlifting is a strength sport that includes three categories of lifts
Murray’s treatment included martial arts as a form of therapy. She began to feel better and stronger. She joined a crossfit gym where she learned the sport of powerlifting, which consists of three lifts: the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. (Powerlifting is a different sport from weightlifting, which consists of two over-the-head lifts called the snatch and the clean-and-jerk.)
Murray said another powerlifter noticed she had good form and asked if she had considered competing.
“I hadn’t really heard of powerlifting before, but it sounded interesting, so I started training with him,” Murray said. “He taught me about the sport, took me to observe some meets, and I absolutely fell in love with it all.”
A new powerlifting champion emerges
In July, Murray competed at the United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) national competition. Murray said she broke records and shocked all her opponents.
“I love seeing the progress,” Murray said. “When I first started, my maxes were a 115 squat, 100 bench, and 195 deadlift,” she added, referring to the number of pounds she lifted in each category.
“Two and a half years ago I weighed 125 pounds and barely had the energy to walk around classes,” Murray said. “And now I’m healthily around 155 and loving what I’m physically capable of doing.”
Murray is the current USPA Washington state record holder for her weight class, 148 pounds, and age group, 20-23 years old, in all lifts: 270.06-pound squat, 165.35-pound bench press and 363.76-pound deadlift.
Murray also holds the USPA Classic Raw American and the International Powerlifting World Classic Raw record for bench press: with a weight of 165.35 pounds.
Murray qualified for the world competitions in November and has her sights set on breaking both her current records and world records.
Training includes Pedialyte, carbs and sushi
Murray’s friend and workout partner, senior biology major Alyson Pederson, is also a powerlifter. But Pederson trains for Strongman, a form of lifting that uses heavy weight and high repetitions.
“Erin is not your typical powerlifter,” Pederson said. “She isn’t full of herself or flaunting her gains. She has a very gentle soul and is very soft spoken.”
Pederson said those characteristics do not hide Murray’s fire to be a great athlete.
“When Erin has a goal, she won’t stop until she meets it, no matter what,” Pederson said.
Murray describes the day before a competition — weigh-in day — as “awesome.” After meeting the weight requirements, Murray spends the rest of the day focused on rehydrating and refueling.
“I drink a lot of Pedialyte, eat lots of carbs,” Murray said. “Then traditionally I always get sushi that evening.”
On competition day, the training pays off
“I always wake up with time to eat a huge bowl of oatmeal at least two hours before lifting starts,” Murray said. “Then I head to the venue, feeling so incredibly nervous.”
One of Murray’s pre-lift traditions is having someone slap her on the back before she goes out to the platform, saying it gets her in the right mindset.
Murray says as soon as she hits her first squat, the audience disappears and she is in the zone.
“I never even hear the music when I’m on the platform,” Murray said. “Just everything except the barbell goes away.”
Erin Murray’s mother, Ann Murray, traveled with Erin to this meet. She felt worried, as many mothers would.
“As she warmed up for squats, I could see nerves starting,” Ann Murray said.
“But she pressed on, using the nervousness to fuel her.”
As a child, Ann Murray said, her daughter liked to take on projects that seemed beyond her age, being demanding of herself, never showing satisfaction when competing or performing. This self-discipline has carried over to powerlifting.
“Watching the determination on her face made me so proud,” Ann Murray said. “More than the actual numbers she pulled, it was the way I could see her overcoming the negative voice in her head that made her a true champion.”
“I could see her overcoming the negative voice in her head that made her a true champion.” — Ann Murray
Erin Murray said she does not want to be just another “meathead” in the gym.
“I want to be fully knowledgeable and an expert at all aspects of what I do,” Murray said, who is planning a minor in sport business.
Murray is still on the fence about what she wants to do after graduating. But she has a couple of different dreams, including completing a master’s degree and eventually become a high-certified strength coach.
“If I choose not to continue education, I would want to start working as a personal trainer,” Murray said, “with the end goal of opening my competition gym someday and training strength athletes.”
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