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MN USAPL NEWS
In Powerlifting there are lifters whom rise up and make that one big lift that everyone remembers. There is that one lift or one event that a lifter does well that makes everyone ask when their next meet is going to be. It makes people say in the crowd that they came just to watch that one lifter compete. Well I got to talking to one lifter who didn't make that one big lift or that one big win. Rather she has been piling up medals, breaking state, National and American records all while being a mother of 5 and trying to figure out how she landed on her butt on her first competition deadlift in 2007. If you don't know Deb Duffy-Smet by now then you will after reading this.
Deb started competing in March 2007 at the Minnesota State event under the guidance of Fran Huston. Now despite her glutinous gaff on her opening deadlift she managed to pull of the highest masters Wilks in the event and a 275 kilo total. This being her first meet ever against 3 other women and was a short distance away from the top 3 in the Women's Open.
Deb hails from the Powerlifting rich southern part of the state. Training at the Rochester Athletic Club She works out with some familiar names of the state Powerlifting such as Doug Preibe and John Milnes. Soon she was joined by Cheri Schouweiler and Johns powerful son Kyle and Eric Alter to help continue her momentum she started from the word go.
Deb travels up to the cities from time to time to work with Fran Huston and Mara Shuttleworth in the bench which they both know very well. The guidance provided by these two world bench team members paid off. At the Women's Nationals this year she broke the American and National Meet records for a geared bench at a 3-lift meet in her division. She noted being quite elated by this experience as she broke them on her 3rd attempts. She broke them by 8 kilos for a 203 bench record.
At the first Women's Nationals Deb attended she felt quite intimidated as she had only 2 local meets under her belt as most national level lifters have years of lifting before they go to major events. She saw right away despite how well MN meets are run that the Nationals is another experience. She took it in well and enjoyed seeing well known female lifters like Ruth Welding compete who have broken ground for women's lifting.
Deb felt the pressure of Nationals and noted that the judging is harder and that made her ill at some points during the contest. But that was ok as the added pressure and the increased level of competition made her a better lifter. As a result a this years Nationals she was far less nervous and was able to look at parts of her lifting that were not up to her standards and improve. Deb said 'its embarrassing that I squatted as much as I benched.' This was the result of only getting one squat to pass.
Oddly enough she faced an intimidating situation much like she did when she went to Nationals. She qualified for Masters Worlds and competed in Palm Springs. Deb felt this was a nice experience and said ' because I didn't have to travel out of the country'. But an almost deja vu seeing the masses of foreign lifters and realizing she was lifting among the best in the world was an unnerving experience. But with the help of coach Johnny Graham and handlers Jim Brown, his wife, Janel and Toni Kemper the event was a very positive experience ending with a Bronze in the squat and deadlift, Gold in bench and Silver overall.
Future for Deb remains unclear. Sure she will continue to compete and improve, but as a mother of 5 its hard to predict when she will come back. She is considering the Twin Ports Open for now, but just want to improve the squat off season. Regardless, Deb is now one of those lifters people are going to ask 'when does she lift next'?
by Brad Madvig