17-year-old girl sets powerlifting world record

As a four-sport athlete at Sonoma Valley High School, Sofia Iniguez was physically fit at 15. But she was also unhappy, and a little bit lost. “I was in a very dark hole, and not doing very well in school,” Iniguez said of her sophomore year.

On a rainy day in the middle of that year, as she was struggling to put a finger on the source of her misery, Iniguez snuck into a local fitness club and began watching the weightlifters there.

They were a small tribe of big guys who seemed to know one another well, and Iniguez was curious about their camaraderie. She was equally fascinated by the iron they were manhandling, and slid onto the weight bench when they had finished.

On her first bench press attempt, she could barely lift just the bar.

“Then Big Mike came over,” she said. “He was like, ‘Care if I join? Do you lift often? I could get you connected if you’re interested.’”

Something about Iniguez’s innate athleticism had caught Big Mike’s eye, and something about his enthusiasm caught hers.

Fast forward a little more than a year, and Iniguez has become a powerlifting champion. Last month, she set state, national and world records at an international competition in San Diego.

At 5 feet 4 inches and 145 pounds, Iniguez could fairly be described as petite. And yet she mounted the platform at Iron Mongers Gym and somehow pulled 347.2 pounds of steel off the ground.

The deadlift requires back and leg strength, and competitive powerlifting demands proper form. For the deadlift, feet are planted about hip-width apart, and the athlete bends at the waist to grip the bar before returning to standing with the weight lifted past the knees.

If the athlete doesn’t lock out the knees completely, with hips canted forward and shoulders thrown back, the attempt is considered a failure. Three judges, one in front and two on either side, make sure the bar is always traveling upward and that there is no “hitching” in an effort to scoot the bar up the thigh. Considered the “most brutally honest” of the three competitive powerlift postures, the deadlift is not for sissies.

Iniguez’s parents, both Mexican immigrants, were initially confused by her new fascination. “My dad is a landscaper, and my mom cleans houses,” she said. “Typical jobs for immigrants, right?” In the course of their workday both parents lifted plenty of weight, just not in the organized way of sport. Didn’t their daughter want something different from life?

And there were assumptions about gender, too, with Iniguez’s extended family perplexed by her dedication at the gym. For relatives in Mexico, the whole thing looked crazy. “Our culture is more of a traditional one, and when relatives in Mexico see videos of me lifting they’re like, ‘why do you do it? Why put yourself through all that stress?’”

“The simple answer is that I can,” Iniguez said. “I can do it, right? Why should I not?”

Iniguez readily admits her sport is male dominated. That may be, in fact, part of the draw. “I rarely encounter females my age. It’s really hard because society says girls don’t want to be bulky. I want to be an example not only for girls my age but for older women, too. Muscles aren’t just for boys, muscles are for everyone.”

Her trainer, Wayne Jandoc, teaches Iniguez technique, but really keys on the big picture benefits of powerlifting. “Harnessing unrealized inner strength led to the realization of outer strength and accomplishments,” Jandoc said. “Since her first competition in 2019, she has set 15 California state records, five national records, and one world record. She is now prefacing a strong life ethic focusing on persistence and the utmost importance of humility.”

That humility is foundational to Iniguez’s journey. She likes setting records, but they’re not the goal. “It’s always about getting 1 percent better than you were yesterday,” she said. “Didn’t drink enough water yesterday? Drink a little more. Didn’t go for a walk? Maybe I should now. It’s not about beating yourself up, it’s about reflecting on ‘what do I need today?’ Yes, I’m proud of my medals, but I’m more proud of being physically and mentally better every day.”

Iniguez is preparing for a firefighting career, and is currently taking classes at SRJC while wrapping up her senior year at SVHS. Powerlifting has become a way of life now and, no matter what, Iniguez intends to keep at it. “I want to keep going,” she said. “Even when I’m 50, 60, 70 years old.”

If people don’t understand why a young woman wants to wrestle steel plates, that’s not Iniguez’s problem to solve. “You can’t complete with other people. The only competition is with yourself. I definitely want to continue this for the rest of my life. It changes you. It’s really cool.”

Contact Kate @ kate.williams@sonomanews.com.