Bad Ass Female Coaches

Bad-Ass Female Coaches

I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by some incredible powerlifting coaches, particularly of the female variety.

But when I thought about it, I realised women were in the minority. There is only a handful of female coaches turning up at comps with clients on the platform. The powerlifting community is a beautiful community, we support each other and have each other’s backs, so I feel incredibly lucky to have a small group of female coaches who I admire and am lucky enough to call colleagues. I watch these ladies closely and learn from them and there is one common theme that I see amongst us all.

There is NOTHING we won’t do for our clients.

For this post I want to focus on four bad-ass female coaches in particular, coaches who are consistent with their own training and the message they share. These women 100% walk the talk, they take care of themselves, they preach health and wellness and they are strong AF. Physically and mentally. What more could you want from a coach?

Before I dive into it, I want to also give a shout out to all the other women, like these four, who are also doing awesome things for the powerlifting scene in Brisbane, not to mention the coaching scene in Brisbane in general.

Alicia Fistonich – Valhalla Strength, Brisbane

@movetheweight

Alicia is a woman I have admired from afar for some time. A mother, an athlete, a coach; she’s not afraid to be all three at once and doesn’t give a flying fuck what people think. I remember watching Alicia at a comp happily breast feeding her little man whilst getting a client ready to step out on the platform. She then carried her little guy for what seemed like hours throughout the day of the comp while he slept peacefully in her arms and unaware of what was going on around him. I was completely in awe.

CC: Tell me about your passion for powerlifting and coaching.

AF: I initially got into powerlifting because it taught me to change my perspective of myself. I was training to be strong and fit, not just physically but mentally, [and] being able to dig deep and do those reps that were tough or hitting numbers that you never in a million years could comprehend being able to hit.

Now I love it still for all these reasons and so many more. If you don’t put in the work, you sure as shit aren’t going to get the results you want. It teaches you how to listen to your body and how to work harder as well. It teaches you to be disciplined and to trust the process and the people. Feeling strong is a powerful feeling when embraced correctly. When you feel strong you present a strength to others as well and the mindfulness you learn in this sport can be applied to anywhere.

CC: What about comp day? How do you feel when you’re leading a client through the pressure of competition?

AF : I get so excited for my clients! I absolutely bloody love to show people what they can do when they have all but written themselves off. I hardly ever tell anyone their third attempts, so it is so fricken exciting to surprise people haha.

But mostly excitement, elation, happiness and then extreme tiredness. Coaching clients into comp has taught me the importance of trusting the process whatever it may be. To be able to go into a situation, switch off to everything else and just focus on doing something we do a hundred times a month is an important skill.

A big thing for me is to not apply limitations to yourself. Don’t limit yourself to attempts and numbers; aim higher, take what is in front of you on the day and then run with that. Ultimately, coaching is a team effort not a dictatorship, and it is important to listen to your athlete.

CC: What’s next on the agenda for you?

AF: Finish Uni! Ha, but no, seriously, I’ll be halfway through my Exercise and Sports Science degree at the end of this year and then onto my Masters of Exercise Physiology, so this is a big goal for me. [It’s also] time for me to get some more competing under my belt now the boys are a little older. To me it is important that they also see what you can achieve if you are consistent, patient and work hard.

CC: You are one hell of a mother, coach, athlete and colleague Alicia. Keep rocking it out.

I couldn’t write a blog about inspiring kick-ass female coaches without mentioning the incredible women in my team at Ritual HQ. Libbie, Kirsten and Braeden are all amazing coaches with a diverse background and keen interest in helping their clients with not just their training, but also their mindset.

Braeden Small – Ritual HQ, Brisbane

@braeden_small

At just 22, Braeden is a coach to be reckoned with. I consider Braeden to be one of our most senior coaches. She has coached both male and female clients into several comps and has several more comps under her own belt, and is fast becoming one of Brisbane’s most sought after coaches. With almost a full book of clients, I can’t wait to see what this bad-ass female coach achieves over the next few years and I have the privilege of being in the front row to see it.

CC: Tell me about how you got into powerlifting and your experience as a powerlifting coach.

BS: I originally started out in powerlifting because of you and Tyler driving my desire to get back into some sort of competition environment. I could see the benefit of the sport of powerlifting and wanted to learn more about it. I love the focus and structure I get from powerlifting and the knowledge I gain, which I can pass onto my clients in their coaching sessions.

CC: Competition days are a big deal for athletes. Is it a big day for you too?

BS: I feel like a proud mum! I love the connection I share with my client on the day and the excitement and sense of achievement between the two of us, it really is the best feeling. Being a coach for competitive athletes has really taught me to manage my emotions. No matter how stressed or nervous I am feeling, I have to manage my state and remain calm because it’s not about me, it’s about them!

CC: So, what’s next for Braeden?

BS: You will see me back on the platform in September, alongside my dad and brother! For now, my focus is to continue to get stronger, maintain consistency and enjoy the build up.

Lily Riley – TTC Strength and Powerlifting, Brisbane

@lilyrileypt

Another woman who regularly rocks my world and is worthy of a mention is Lily. Lily goes from squatting 200kg to being scared of a bird who wanders into her gym to rocking a bikini with a cocktail in her hand in Bali. Balance is key, as is a fun approach to life. If we take life too seriously in this game, then we lose. Straight up.

Lily regularly inspires me with her commitment to herself, her clients and her life, but more so with her balanced approach. Working out of TTC, a big name and predominantly male-dominant powerlifting gym, Lily rocks it there on a daily basis and works with both men and women to help them become way stronger than they ever imagined possible.

Lily recently helped me in my final days leading into comp. I had some massive inflammation due to an injury which threw my bodyweight out. Lily checked in with me each day, supported me, offered suggestions and generally took on the emotion that I was experiencing. Whilst she couldn’t physically do anything to help me, knowing that another strong-ass female powerlifter understood what I was going through and offering moral support made all the difference. It’s the small things, and the extra care that we show, that make us women unique, as coaches.

Keep rocking it out Lily.

Alesha Pimm – Building Elite, Brisbane

@alesha.buildingelite

My final girl crush is Alesha. Alesha has competed in a couple of federations and has also taken clients into prep. I love watching Alesha with her clients; what you see is what you get, she doesn’t pretend to be anyone that she isn’t, and I absolutely love that about her. She’s all about getting women strong both physically and emotionally.

It’s clear that she has a deep connection with her clients and is genuinely interested in their success. Alesha, keep rocking it out, I bloody love you and I love watching what you do for the women of this world.

CC: Alesha, what got you into powerlifting?

AP: I got into powerlifting roughly three years ago, primarily because of the coach and gym I was training with. Coincidentally, it was the same network that sparked my interest in strength training, altogether, so I owe a lot of credit for who I am today to my very first coach and that gym.

The intention behind my first competition was purely to experience the environment I’d watched from the sideline. On the day, I felt how it brought the community together, the cool attitude of the women I competed with and the fun I had, which is what kept me going back!

CC: Why do you love it?

AP: I love the essence of it. To constantly strive to better yourself – and not necessarily the old idea of you vs you, but just purely to be better in how you perform, in how you handle training, in how you self-regulate. There are so many ways to improve in our lives and just simply looking at it as the opportunity to get stronger misses so many elements of who we can be.

CC: What emotions do you feel on the day of a client's comp?

AP: It’s a concoction of, “Holy shit, am I ready for this?” and, “The girls are going to do so well!”

I think that’s a pretty common coach thing – nerves and excitement. But the nerves are generally about how I’m going to fall on my face or misload a bar, or accidentally give the wrong next attempt to the table for my lifter haha. I have full faith in my clients and the work we have put in as a team. The greatest feeling I get on the day though, is watching my girls be badass athletes and blow their own expectations out of the water. My favourite moment is that complete elation on a client’s face when they turn to me after a PB!

CC: What has coaching a client in a comp taught you about yourself as a woman?

AP: Coaching at my first powerlifting competition was a whole new world of emotions, as is any new experience, but the feeling has evolved over time. The key thing I’ve learnt is that women have an intuitive power of stillness and quiet, and that power harnessed at the right time can displace any force.

For myself it was learning the importance of self-regulation. The ability to breathe away nerves and cultivate a nuturing environment, especially in the buzz of comp day, has been a key to bringing my clients to PBs and always leaves us having had an awesome day.

It’s also something that has hugely benefited my clients in their training and competitions. They have their own individual rituals to regulate and reset and that makes us as a team more comfortable and confident, leaving us free to apply effort where needed and enjoy the day.

CC: And what's next for you?

AP: What’s next for me? There’s plans to compete again later in 2018, as well as return to university (god knows why) for my Masters of Physiotherapy in 2019, a long term goal of mine. For 2018, though, my focus is on leading Building Elite so our team can compete strong and proud later this year, across all of our diverse sports. We’re looking at a huge year, it’s really exciting!

This list is by no means exhaustive. These four women are simply bad-ass coaches who I have connected with over the years or who I have shared experiences, knowledge or a connection with. They are incredible, so follow them online or hit them up in person if you’re keen to learn more.