The power of lifting is taking hold for a Black Diamond family.
Kim and Trina Hampton, who run the Focus FITness gym in High Country, along with their son Hayden are set to showcase their powerlifting prowess at the Shellshock 5 Powerlifting & Strongman Competition, Nov. 7-8 in Edmonton.
“For me, I’m excited watching these two become stronger without even really knowing that they had it in them,” Kim said. “And that goes across the board to all of our lifters. And the best part of it is when I tell these two to do something, they have to do it.”
It will be the second time Hayden has competed and the first time Trina will be on the platform with Kim leading their training.
“I did a lot of lifting in Okotoks when I was young,” Kim said. “That’s where I learned how to do everything and when I started seeing how strong Hayden was and I had a couple ladies that were doing quite well too, I reached out to some of my old powerlifting buddies asking who do I go to?”
Leslie Gurr in Nanton at Decidedly Fit has been a huge help to Focus FITness in getting entrenched in the powerlifting community.
“She’s been a huge help to get our gym to the platform with our lifters,” Kim said. “Now she’s working with Hayden and Trina as well to get our percentages correct and learning how to get our weights where they need to be to be more than representative and learning the proper cues that the judges look for.”
The gym sent its first three lifters to national competition in early March and came away with two national records, one of which was established by Hayden, 13, the second eldest of four Hampton children.
“We’re slowly being recognized, for lack of a better term, that we’re legit,” Kim said. “That we’re here to teach people to be strong.”
The Hamptons have operated the gym for three years where Trina ran classes, but admitted she was anything but a gym user until earlier this year.
“He’s the weight guy and I just like to encourage people so classes was more my wheelhouse, simple movements, consistency and I can push you a little harder,” Trina said. “And Kim, they had had a powerlifting clinic last year and I was like ‘what can I teach you guys?’ I had no interest in learning.”
Her perspective changed during the pandemic, along with the idea that time matters just as much as mindset. She proved to be more than up to the task, deadlifting 285 pounds on her first go.
“I had the opportunity to put some time into learning because I wasn’t running around everywhere,” she said. “And it was probably the best decision I’ve made because I love it.
“Showing up every day in here, for me, is going to spill into a lot of other aspects of life. I’m really good at encouraging others, but as most moms do you put yourself on the backburner and do for others first.”
Trina said the first week of training, with deadlift, bench press and squat, was empowering for her.
“You just want to do more,” she said. “My body felt really good and I felt really strong.”
When it comes to the competition in November, it’s more about the experience and being part of the powerlifting community than any focus on results or performances.
“It’s about giving back, it’s about mental health for vets, first-responders, Misfits really put on a great event up there to give back,” Trina said. “I think it will be a great platform to debut, get the feel of it. I was taking 12 weeks to decide if it’s something I want to do and so far I’m loving it.
“Some days are harder than others because it’s very different encouraging others than it is encouraging yourself, but I learn something every day.”
Trina is lifting just under 100 pounds shy of the Canadian record, a goal she’s shooting for by spring of next year.
“Hayden and I had an awesome time working out together,” Trina said. “It’s a nice common thread starting out together, he teaches me.”
Hayden has been lifting for a year now.
“I like it all,” he said. “The feeling, it’s shocking and empowering to do it more.”
When Hayden pulled his 209 deadlift off in competition in March, he did so with the backing of the powerlifting community with inspiring support from everyone in the building.
“When it comes to youth training you always have to go back to the form and make sure it’s correct and slowly add the weight,” Kim said. “Communication is big, too, teaching them to tell me how they feel, I even do that with our other juniors as well, we have other lifters coming up as well and Hayden has kind of led the charge.”
For Trina, functional strength to enjoy everyday activities from grocery shopping to playing our favourite sports is of crucial importance.
“I think as humanity we kind of lose track of the fact that we need to stay strong to enjoy those things,” Trina said. “So really trying to instill a healthy community so that you can enjoy your life and do the things you love to do and be strong with less ailments down the road and to pass that onto our kids.
“I tell our parents in our kids class all the time that these are life skills, this is what we need to turn to when we’re having a bad day.”
For more information go to Facebook.com/FocusFITnessBD.
