Meet the 16-year-old 'typical nerd' who can lift 325 pounds

In many ways, 16-year-old Emily Arsenault is, as she describes herself, a "typical nerd."

She works two jobs, loves to read, and her favourite subjects are math and science.

But this five-foot-three-inch bookworm can also lift 325 pounds. The deadlift was one of four Canadian Powerlifting Association records she set in her age, weight and gender class at a recent meet in Charlottetown. 

That's not all.

The Grade 11 student at Ecole-sur-Mer in Summerside, P.E.I., set a new provincial high school girls record this year by squatting 315 pounds — "quite a feat for most men," said her coach Mitchell Caissey, "and she's a 16-year-old woman doing it."

In fact, Arsenault had the highest Wilks score — a formula used to evenly compare the overall strengths of powerlifters across different weights and genders — of the more than 70 high school competitors, male or female.

"It just means pound for pound, Emily was the strongest," Caissey said.

'Doing it for myself'

Arsenault, however, said she doesn't compare herself to men — if she can help it.

"Sometimes if I see a guy who I can like, say, squat more than him, of course I feel a little bit good because I mean I'm like, 'Oh I can squat more than this guy.' But I guess I don't really compare myself that much to anyone really. I'm kind of more doing it for myself."

She's already doing things at 16 that I've seen men and women train 10, 20 years to get to.— Emily Arsenault

Arsenault, who also plays soccer and was recently named the school's female athlete of the year, says her powerlifting prowess has surprised her family, friends and even herself.

"I knew I wasn't like weak by any means but I didn't think I'd be like this."

When Arsenault was in Grade 10, Caissey, the gym teacher, challenged her — and anybody else who was interested — to try powerlifting.

Arsenault took him up on it.

Caissey said he could tell early on Arsenault had a gift for the sport.

"She just had no expression on her face, looked really easy to her and I asked her one day, 'Emily is that heavy?' and she said no. So I put a few more pounds on. I said, 'Is that heavy now?' She said no so I kept putting on a few more pounds and we just haven't stopped doing that a year and a half later."

Arsenault trains about three times a week. Caissey said they are cautious because she's still young and they don't want to overload her body.

Her next competition is in August in Summerside. If all goes well, she'll qualify for the Eastern Canadian championships in Newfoundland in September and the Canadian championships in Winnipeg next March.

"She has a very high ceiling," Caissey said.

'You might surprise yourself'

"She's already doing things at 16 that I've seen men and women train 10, 20 years to get to. So she has the potential and she's got the work ethic and she seems to love powerlifting, so those three things together will be a good recipe for her to go far," Caissey said.

"But we'll wait and see I guess."

As for Arsenault, she has this advice for anyone thinking about powerlifting.

"Even if you don't think that you'd be strong or if you don't think you'd be able to do it, you should try it because you might surprise yourself."

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