I found myself holding two very different positions this weekend—first place, and last. This year, I took a real chance on myself. I’ve been diving deeper into the powerlifting world while still keeping my heart rooted in making endurance sports more inclusive. For a long time, I let a bit of internet noise make me rethink if I was really doing the most. But the truth is, their limitations don’t get to define my lane. I chose to follow my heart a lot this year, and it's guiding me exactly where I need to be. Last minute, I signed up for the USA Powerlifting DCF All About the Benjamins Classic, knowing I was already heading to Philly for one of my favorite events: the Women’s Philadelphia Triathlon & Duathlon. At the meet, I earned first place in the Women’s Open division and hit a few personal bests—<425 lb squat, 242 lb bench (missed 259 when I reracked too soon), and a 407 lb deadlift after missing my 452 lb attempt. @esnelldesign and I celebrated quickly, then rushed back to my hotel so I could switch gears for Sunday’s race. The next morning, I crossed the duathlon finish line in just under two hours, side by side with my girl, @ireshadahoodtherapist —who crushed her first ever duathlon. The energy? Unmatched. The women? Powerful. The support? Exactly what community should feel like. It was so dope seeing familiar and new faces. I woke up excited about training for the second half of this year. I have 3 marathons, a handful of halves and another powerlifting meet or two before the year is out. Here and there, folks ask if uplifting back-of-the-pack athletes means I’m minimizing elite efforts. That’s a hard no. I’m not interested in shrinking greatness; I’m expanding the definition of it. Standing on a podium is very new for me. Now that I’ve stood on a few, I want everyone—yup, everyone—to feel that same pride, regardless of pace, position, or body type. To my community: keep pushing, keep showing up, and keep believing you belong here. PS: TY for helping me fund parts of my tour. To continue helping me, visit iamlshauntay.com/social. Consider buying merch from me or sending ❤️ to my tip 🫙. Everything counts!