by Scott Sacry, Sports Editor
Corvallis third grade teacher Holly Snyder spent Saturday, November 22 traveling halfway across the globe. She started her trip in Wolverhampton, England and landed in Missoula just before midnight.
To her surprise, when she came off the plane in Missoula, a community of her friends were there to meet her, support her, and congratulate her.
The reason for the support was that, days earlier, Snyder had become a World Champion at the International Powerlifting League (IPL) World Powerlifting Championship in Wolverhampton. It was a massive achievement for Snyder, but she never expected anyone to be at the airport at eleven o’clock at night. That’s the reason Snyder loves her Corvallis community.
Corvallis third grade teacher Holly Snyder with her six powerlifting World Championship medals from the IPL World Powerlifting Championship in Wolverhampton, England on November 20-21. Photo courtesy of Holly Snyder.
“People sometimes ask me why I haven’t taken a job at a school in Missoula or someplace else,” said Snyder, “and I say I love being in Corvallis. We’re like one big family, we take care of each other. It’s a special place.”
Competing at the World Championships
Snyder had traveled to Wolverhampton, which is two hours north of London, to compete in the IPL World Powerlifting Championship on November 20-21.
A powerlifting competition involves three lifts: the squat, bench press and deadlift. Athletes are categorized by sex, age and bodyweight. Each competitor is allowed three attempts at each lift; the best lift in each event being added to their total. The lifter with the highest total is the winner.
Snyder excelled at the World Championships in Wolverhampton. She completed in women’s 82.5 KG division for Team USA, and won the World Championship in the following six categories in the raw subcategory, “raw” meaning she didn’t use any sort of wraps on her body: Full Power (the total of all three lifts) Open Class, Full Power Master Class (ages 40-44), Bench only Open Class, Bench only Master Class, Deadlift only Open Class, Deadlift only Master Class. In the Open Class she competed against every woman in the event, not just her age group.
At the World Championships, Snyder lifted a total of 970 pounds (353 pounds in the squat, 182 pounds in the bench, and 435 in the deadlift). Snyder qualified for the World Championship by winning the same events at nationals, and was invited to be part of Team USA at the World Championships. At Nationals, she lifted 1004 pounds total (363 pounds in the squat, 176 pounds in the bench, and 464 pounds in the deadlift).
Obstacles to overcome
Snyder overcame many obstacles at and before the World Championships. First, she injured her hip three weeks earlier, then she had to deal with jet lag from a nine-hour time difference, and finally the event was held in an old hangar that was about 38 degrees when the competition started.
“It was so cold at the event,” said Snyder. “I really had to bundle up. But throughout this whole process, I put my trust in the Lord. There were all sorts of obstacles that came up leading to the event, and at every point, the doors would open, and everything fell in place.”
Snyder’s school and gym communities also were an integral part of her championship journey. “They are unlike any other people, they rallied around me,” said Snyder. “My students had a bake sale to help raise money. My two coaches were both able to go to the UK with me. The school did a surprise assembly. It was all so special.”
Snyder continued, “I was able to speak to the student body at the assembly. I talked about the importance of dreaming big. Why do we stop dreaming as we get older? If you have a dream, no matter your age, go for it. Look at me, I never thought I would get this far and I was able to do it.”
Snyder’s powerlifting journey
Snyder’s journey in powerlifting started in 2017 when she joined Corvallis Athletics Crossfit. Needing a goal to shoot for, she gravitated toward powerlifting and found she was really good at it. As the years progressed, she began getting state and national records, and then she started teaching others, which really helped her hone her skills.
Ultimately, one of the main reasons Snyder puts in multiple two and a half to three hour sessions every week is for the health and longevity benefits of lifting.
“I want to be a good example to my boys, to my students, and to my community,” said Snyder. “I would rather be the oldest person in the gym than the youngest person in the nursing home.”
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