Campus Connection

Senior Morgan Langworthy didn’t pick up powerlifting until she came to UW-L. “I just loved that powerlifting was all about getting inside of my own head and not getting in my own way,” says Langworthy. She trained in the circus for 10 years growing up, especially in acrobatics, but didn’t have that as an option here. Her freshman-year roommate pushed her to try powerlifting. Earlier this year Langworthy broke her back and wasn’t able to lift as much. “I still wanted to be involved,” she says. Someone who trained Langworthy asked if she’d be interested in coaching powerlifting Special Olympics. “I thought that sounded awesome, so I went in, got involved and they welcomed me with open arms,” she says. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvAcMoEiLCA Her favorite part about working with the Special Olympics: the attitude of the lifters. “If I set a weight in front of them, they're going to lift it up and try it and pull as hard as they possibly can,” notes Langworthy. “Because they're used to giving their all and that's just their mindset.” Langworthy believes this experience has made her a better coach and a bigger advocate for everyone to lift. “I’m personally not someone you would think of as a lifter,” says Langworthy. “I have really bad joints and osteoarthritis and things like that. Lifting has given me the ability to move around every day without pain.” Special Olympics is always looking for volunteers. Find details at http://www.specialolympicswisconsin.org/