Topic: News: Sara Cowles driven to success

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Sara Cowles driven to success
By MICHAEL LEWIS

She loved the car, but she loved the dream more.

Former Spruce Creek weightlifter Sara Cowles had to make a decision recently: Sell her 2000 Ford Explorer to raise money to compete in an international tournament, or keep the car and miss the event.

It wasn't exactly a "Sophie's Choice" kind of thing, Cowles said with a laugh.

"The car was great, but there was no way I was going to miss this chance," the 19-year-old said. "Besides, I don't really need a car that much anyway."

And so, even though she had qualified, Cowles still had to foot the bill.

So Cowles sold the vehicle and some furniture to raise the $3,000 needed to travel to Bucharest, Romania, for the Junior World Championships last week.

Competing in the 53-kilogram (116-pound) division, Cowles placed 13th in her first major international event, as she tries to make a go of it as a top amateur competitor.

What's more, she recently learned she'd been accepted on a weightlifting scholarship to Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich., which has become a Midwest training ground for USA Weightlifting's most promising prospects.

But beyond the results in Romania, the experience was the best of her life.

"To be there and see the highest level of your sport, and be around it was so amazing and inspiring," Cowles said. "Honestly, I'd sell everything I own to do it again."

Cowles, a 2007 Spruce Creek graduate, admitted she was a bit intimidated at the start of the Worlds. She failed on her first two attempts in the snatch competition.

"I think the moment kind of overwhelmed her; being in a huge arena with so many people watching is a lot to take in," said Creek coach Tom Bennett, who was in Romania with Cowles. "But once she got settled in, she did a lot better."

Cowles ended up with a 59-kilo (140-pound) total in the snatch ("embarrassingly low," Cowles said), but broke her personal record with an 84-kilos (185-pound) performance in the clean-and-jerk.

More fun for Cowles was the bonding experience with the foreign competitors. She said they all got to know each other and by the end of the week, the dance party held at the hotel in Romania "was kind of like "Sesame Street." People from all different countries were dancing and hanging out."

Cowles was equally excited about the Northern Michigan scholarship, which begins in the fall. Instead of working 40-50 hours per week as a student at UCF to support herself, Cowles will get to focus strictly on schoolwork and training.

"It's made me 110 percent more committed, because now I'll be able to see how much better I can get when I can really train," Cowles said. "It's going to be an awesome experience, and we'll see how far it takes me."

[Dave Chiu]

One of my favorite young lifters --

a great combination of technique and grit

who totally captures what we love most about O-lifting.