An athlete steps up to the enormous amount of weight before her. After countless hours of preparation in the gym, there's only one thing left to do: get mad.
Two UW-Oshkosh seniors, Alyssa Hitchcock and Jodi Barrett, say that's how they get in the zone when the pressure's on. Beyond the glory associated with official Oshkosh athletics, these two women are making their mark in a lesser-known sport: power lifting.
"I try to focus and see myself complete the lift successfully and legally," Barrett said. "I think, 'There's nothing left to do but rip that weight up.'"
Hard-rock music from artists like Disturbed and Slipknot also plays a role in getting pumped up, Hitchcock said.
While other students represent the university in more publicized sports, Hitchcock and Barrett's success brings a different dimension to Titan athletic pride. In fact, the exercise science department can boast having one of the world's best.
Hitchcock reached the pinnacle of her career last September when she won her weight class at the Junior World Championships with a total of 998 pounds, a full 100 more than her closest competitor in the 148-pound weight class. That total was well below her usual average of 1,036 pounds, which would have tied her for first in the 181-pound class.
Immediately after joining the power lifting team her freshman year of high school, Hitchcock was hooked. She won the national championship that very same year - and again her senior year - and would go on to win three state titles.
Despite that early success, she didn't see herself as a future world champ.
"I never thought it could happen, especially starting out as a little 92-pounder," she said. Now, at 138 pounds, she's in the world's elite.
Her three-hour daily workout routine on top of classes and homework leaves her little time for anything else, but Hitchcock said that she also enjoys winter sports like snowboarding whenever she gets the chance.
If Hitchcock's story is one of exceptional work ethic day in and day out for the past nine years, Barrett's is one of overcoming adversity in the form of a crippling car wreck.
After getting involved in the sport her junior year of high school, an accident that shattered her kneecap in six places derailed her career for what she thought was indefinitely. However, through a volunteer experience at Neenah High School last fall, she said she regained the passion she once felt for the sport.
"After the accident I never thought I could power lift again just because of my range of motion in my knee, but I got started with it again and thankfully I could do it," she said. "I got the taste again for the sport and I'm just loving it."
Watching the coaches at the school really has given her something to aim for, she said. "Just seeing them in the weight room and seeing how much they can lift is a big motivation for me to be successful in the sport," she said.
Barrett's comeback trail hasn't been without its setbacks. At the Wisconsin State Open in January, she had successful lifts in the squat and dead lift but failed to complete the bench press and was disqualified. She bounced back five weeks later in Minnesota, however, completing all three and earning a spot at the Collegiate Nationals.
Barrett says that she has a passion for all sports, which is why she chose exercise science as a major. In addition to her work in Neenah, she works as a physical trainer in Albee Hall.
"She's really focused and no-nonsense, and she pushes me to test my limits," said Amy Nash, one of her clients. "If I try to get out of work, she encourages me to do my best."
Although both can probably out-lift the average male, neither considers herself to be intimidating. "With a lot of guys, they're really interested," Barrett said. "They're more curious and they ask a lot of questions, but they're never really discriminatory. Maybe for some guys it's like 'Wow, she can probably kick my butt.'"
Hitchcock admitted that she can imagine men being intimidated by women lifters, but she's found a simple solution: "You gotta date (other) power lifters," she said. "I wouldn't date someone I could beat up."
Despite being top-tier athletes, both have managed to stay grounded throughout their success. Hitchcock appeared uncomfortable when asked about being in an elite class, saying that it's her love of the sport itself that's important to her.
"I live for lifting. It's my outlet in life," she said.
Barrett, on the other hand, also refused to brag about her accomplishments. She described her qualification for Collegiate Nationals as "no big deal."
Hitchcock, who already has used up her four years of eligibility on the national collegiate scene, said she will continue to compete until "I break in half or my bones shatter." Luckily for her, there are meets like the Women's Nationals, in which all ages can compete.
"I have friends that are all over the world, so that's a big part of it," she said.
The senior is also adamant about staying drug-free in her training and said that drug tests are routine in the sport. At the world competition it took her 5 1/2 hours to complete testing.
"You can tell some of the people (that have been using) because they're so ballooned up," she said. She has seen competitors disqualified on numerous occasions for testing positive.
Barrett will next compete at the Collegiate Nationals in Kileen, Texas, April 13-15. Hitchcock will lift in the Badger Open in June.
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