While strength sports are a huge part of my life, they’re only one piece of the larger story.

I’m also a published poet, and writing has always been another way I process the world around me. Where lifting challenges the body, poetry explores the inner landscape—the emotions, experiences, and reflections that shape who we are.

Both pursuits are surprisingly similar.

Powerlifting requires patience, discipline, and the willingness to confront your limits. Writing does the same. In both, growth happens gradually. You build something meaningful over time, piece by piece.

Strength isn’t only measured in pounds lifted. It’s found in resilience, in creativity, in the courage to express who you are and what matters to you.

Whether I’m writing a poem or stepping up to a barbell, the goal is the same: to explore the edges of possibility and to keep becoming a stronger, more authentic version of myself.