Lajes Airman wins gold medal in Military Nationals power lifting meet

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LAJES FIELD, Azores --  A member of the 65th Air Base Wing recently represented Team Lajes and brought home a gold medal after competing in the USA Power Lifting Military Nationals Power Lifting and Bench Press Championship.

Tech. Sgt. Kenyatta Wilson - Unit Training Monitor with the 65th Communications Squadron, said the Military Nationals is a competitive event and winning a gold medal was a great experience for him.

"This is my first official power lifting meet since 2006 so I am very excited to step back on the platform," Sergeant Wilson said.

During the competition, with more than 40 lifters from across the U.S., Sergeant Wilson competed in the 181 pounds weight class while weighing in at 170 and bench pressed 363.3 pounds to win a gold medal.

"There were a lot of experienced competitors, including a few world record holders," Sergeant Wilson explained. "It's always an honor to compete with drug-free competitors that are at the top of the sport."

According to the sergeant, this level of competition is not like an ordinary lifting or daily work out. It involves proper techniques and adequate preparation.

The preparation for the event was no small feat for the sergeant, who is in charge of scheduling all communication formal training and tracking DoD network certification training at Lajes. Sergeant Wilson maintains a daily and extensive workout schedule to ensure he is fully prepared for the meet. His workout schedule starts at 5 a.m. for six days a week.

"My workout consists of working one body part per day. I focus mostly on heavy compound movements such as squats, bench press, dead lifts and barbell rows. I felt prepared for the competition so I'm not surprised that my hard work paid off," the sergeant said humbly. "Training with the Top of The Rock Bodybuilding team also pushed my competitive edge to another level."

Even though currently battling bicep tendonitis, the sergeant said he is always determined to be the best in everything he does.

He commends Team Lajes during the period of his preparation saying, "My leadership has been very supportive of my fitness goals." Sergeant Wilson also emphasized the role the Physical Therapy clinic team at Lajes played during his preparation.
"Capt. Brandon Morgan and Tech. Sgt. Keith Eberhardt worked with me three days a week to alleviate the pain and prepare me for the meet,' he said. "I truly appreciate their help."

Sergeant Wilson began lifting in 2000 just to put on more weight. After seeing a positive result, his passion for lifting skyrocketed and since then, he has not stopped adding to his medal racks.

"My interest in power lifting began the summer of 2005 while deployed to Kuwait. I read an article on Senior Master Sgt. Troy Saunders power lifting feats and began to work with him immediately after I returned to Ramstein in January 2006," Sergeant Wilson said. "Sergeant Saunders trained me to adjust my benching technique to comply with the USAPL standards. He has been mentoring me since 2006 and has been instrumental in my success in bodybuilding and power lifting."

Today, Sergeant Wilson has won more than ten gold medals. He now boasts of seven first- place medals in bodybuilding and four first-place medals in power lifting.

Sergeant Wilson attributes his success to mentorship and those who have helped and supported him along the way.

He leaves a word of advice to all aspiring power lifters. "My advice to others is: find someone with experience and learn as much as possible," Sergeant Wilson said. "Mastering proper lifting techniques is the best way to avoid injuries and ensure success. I was lucky to have lifers with over 20 years of experience coaching me when I started."