Anne Arundel police sergeant powerlifts to victory
Anne Arundel officer McGregor triumphant in powerlifting event
In late summer, Lonnie Fariss approached one of her athletes, TakenyaMcGregor, with a challenge fit for the single mother and Anne Arundel County Police Department sergeant.
The coronavirus pandemic stripped powerlifters of the competitive life theywere used to living, but Fariss, a coach of a womandominated powerlifting crew called “Southern Maryland Iron Crab Barbell,” had an idea: the bench press.
She knew someone like McGregor could take on the change head- on.
McGregor faced benching and, over the course of three months, trained her way to become a champion at the 2020 USA Powerlifting Maryland State Bench Press on Dec. 5 in the 84kg women’s Raw Master 1a ( ages 40 to 44) division. After powerlifting competitively since 2016, McGregor relished her first win— and claimed the state record in that category while she was at it with a
“I think she can do really well. As long as she stays consistent — which is really hard … to get your sleep, stay on your nutrition, along with her job, which is a very serious intense job. So it’s a lot of balance on her part that she has to do on her own, but I think she can do really well.”
— Lonnie Fariss, TakenyaMcGregor’s powerlifting coach
176.3- pound lift.
“I just sawall of this coming through the woodwork,” Fariss said. “I’m like, ‘ I think you could do this,’ and she did amazing.”
McGregor started lifting in competitions about five years ago when Fariss was putting together a band of women, each with different skills, to hit the local powerlifting circuit.
Working out had become an asset to McGregor’swork life as a police officer. She started with strength and conditioning, which included high- intensity training and, of course, weightlifting. Competing in that seemed like the natural step, so she tried it — and liked it.
“It motivates you to go in at a higher level,” McGregor said.
Over the last several years, McGregor routinely found her way to the podium at competitions. She made her way to Raw Nationals Championships in Orlando, Florida, in 2017, beating out a seven- time international champion to finish 46th out of more than100women.
Her development stalled this year as the pandemic made traveling to competitions unsafe. Most of the local competitions they’d planned for canceled on their own. Fariss said much of her team backed off the life; they were mothers and teachers worried about spread.
But McGregor didn’t stop. She had the equipment she needed at home. She was ready when her coach came to herwith the proposition.
She knew how to solve problems. She worked grueling hours as a police officer and committed to nutrition and training to face athletes for whom powerlifting is an occupation. McGregor did all that while raising her son, Tavorian, as a single mother.
“I’m a single mom and I attend the gym; they do this all day every day,” McGregor said. “Just [ to] be able to compete in their weight classwas motivation for me.”
Afew years ago, her son joined her in the gym. He started with a little barbell; now, McGregor knowsTavorian, 16, iswell on his way to surpassing her.
Fariss loves watching Tavorian training with his mother, razzing her up as she worked for her passion.
About a year- and- a- half ago, McGregor had knee surgery. It changed the way she trained, her coach said, drawing her to focus more on upper- body movement and skill. It was that change that motivated Fariss to haveMcGregor pursue benching.
“I knew she had the skill, but she just didn’t have the confidence to do it,” Fariss said. “She just had that skill and she was determined. COVID actually helped her sit down and focus on her training.”
Fariss felt comfortable bringing McGregor to this meet in December because she’d been there before and knew it would be safer and small.
On the day of theMaryland State Bench meet, McGregor arrived at a competition changed by the pandemic. Pre- coronavirus meets were thick with fans and competitors, including in her own class, and took about 10 hours.
This time, the meet started at 8 a. m. and finished by noon. Though the competition decided to allow fans at the last second, none showed. McGregorwore hermaskthe entire time, including while shewas lifting.
Fariss recalls McGregor having some nerves.
“But I knew she could do it,” the coach said. “I knew she had the skill. We did 12 weeks of prep work before going into the meet, along with some mock meets at our facility, which tested her for the only lift she did, whichwas the bench beat.”
It didn’t feel too different than a previous meet, McGregor said. There was still the excitement, even though she was doing far fewer lifts than she normally would ( nine). WhenMcGregor learned she’dwon, she felt the confidence she’d earned through months of trainingwash through her.
“That felt awesome,” McGregor said, “because [ first place] was something I struggled with.”
Fariss believed McGregor’s victory opened the door for more. The 40- year- old police officer’s current maximum for squat is 310 pounds, while it’s 180 pounds for bench press and 363 for deadlift.
The new year, should the pandemic wane, will likely see regular meets return. McGregor will keep training.
“I think she can do really well,” Fariss said. “As long as she stays consistent — which is really hard… to get your sleep, stay on your nutrition, along with her job, which is a very serious intense job. So it’s a lot of balance on her part that she has to do on her own, but I think she can do reallywell.”