Darin Williams, a sophomore at Briar Cliff University, graduated from Central in 2023. He is on scholarship to play football at Briar Cliff. In his time at Central he also took part in powerlifting where he put up some impressive numbers like a 290-pound bench, 550-pound deadlift, and a 530-pound squat.  

Powerlifting is a club sponsored by Dennis Baker that competes across the state in different lifts. The club makes the athletes stronger, but Williams said it helped him grow as a person.  

“The family environment is so encouraging, especially in the competitions,” Williams said.  

He recalls some of his favorite memories of being in competition. “Having all your teammates in one area yelling at you and encouraging you is a special feeling I have not found anywhere else,” Williams said.  

Williams knew that the energy he got when he was performing his lift, he would have to return. Powerlifting teaches plenty of life skills like goal setting, and Williams said he struggled with goal setting before high school, and powerlifting brought a new perspective to goals he never thought of.  

Reaching goals was never a problem for him, it was setting new ones after he broke his old goals. 

 “In middle school I struggled with finding goals and setting new ones, but once I joined powerlifting and started getting stronger, I realized that goals are meant to be broken,” Williams said. “It changed my way of thinking; it pushes me to be my best self to this day and to never limit myself.”  

Powerlifting coach Dennis Baker speaks to how he was a good leader “He was always there and did well, a great leader” 

Williams encouraged any student to give powerlifting a chance because of the positive impact it has had on his physical health and for what it has done for him outside of the weightroom.