OUR COMMUNITY Powerlifting High School Nationals in Aurora, Colo. “I knew I’d go in and do my best. I’m proud of the work I did leading up to the meets and my performance at the meets. I couldn’t have asked for better support from anyone,” she says. Lira’s personal records for squat, bench and deadlift are 270, 125 and 250 pounds, respectively. “I would say that Judaism has a certain culture surrounding the religion, a culture of compassion and dedication. I think that same culture surrounds lifting, and that culture is important to me,” she says.
Powerful Lifter Seaholm grad seeks to inspire other girls to lift weights.
KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
L
ira Bordoley, 18, didn’t always know she’d be drawn to powerlifting or that it would set the course for her college plans and career goals. The nationally ranked powerlifting athlete will attend the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology in the fall, with plans to become a strength and conditioning coach who can help athletes persevere. The recent Seaholm High School grad, who attends Temple Shir Shalom with her family and served on the board of the Shir Shalom temple youth group her freshman year, first got involved with powerlifting in 2019 through her participation in CrossFit. She won first place at her first regional powerlifting meet and kept going, working with coaches from Henry Ford II High School in Sterling Heights to develop her powerlifting skills. “Powerlifting has helped me discover my passion. It also gives me a purpose and the chance to find out what I’m capable
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of when I set my mind to it. Powerlifting gives me a benchmark, and helps me set goals to get there,” she explains. Powerlifting revolves around athletes trying to lift the maximum weight possible in squat, bench press and deadlift events. Bordoley placed sixth at her first state meet in March 2020. She kept training throughout the pandemic with her eye on the Michigan High School Powerlifting Association State Championship, held in Adrian, Mich., on March 13. “I didn’t let the pandemic get me down or get in the way of that,” she says. “I was fully driven. And my efforts paid off. That was so huge for me.” She placed first in her weight class at the state meet, and then in April, drove 10 hours to compete in the 2021 USA Powerlifting Pennsylvania State Championships. She won her weight class, and in May, placed eighth in the nation in her weight class at the 2021 USA
HIGHER SELF-ESTEEM Beyond the satisfaction of competing at the events themselves, she says powerlifting has boosted her confidence and self-esteem. It’s a versatile sport that has a lot to offer, she adds. Now, she wants to empower other women and girls to walk into the gym and ask for help so they can find their passions and achieve their goals. “Really, anyone can train for this. It’s strength training, and I think for little girls to see women in sports is good. Maybe it would be good to see women lifting weights because I think there’s a real stigma around women lifting weights or getting bulky or getting strong,” she says. “I think it’s a problem that needs to be solved because girls should be able to feel secure in wanting to go to the weight room and lifting weights. I love it, and I think it’s important for people to know that they can love it, too.” Strength and conditioning coach Francesco Ruffini first connected with Bordoley at a January 2020 powerlifting meet and has been working with her three times a week ever since. “Since then, I’ve seen her grow physically and mentally. She’s been able to push her limits and abilities in each workout,” he says, adding that he’s impressed by her dedication and drive as well as the amount of weight she can lift. “She is very determined in what she does, she definitely has the passion for getting better, and for trying to achieve whatever she’s setting out to achieve.”
