9‑year‑old powerlifter stuns internet with 180‑pound deadlift in viral video
Don’t let the pigtails fool you, 9-year-old Lucy Milgrim is a powerhouse.
The New York native stunned the internet after a video of her deadlifting 180 pounds at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, racked up nearly 60 million views.
Milgrim, who weighs under 60 pounds, stepped up to the bar in fluorescent pink‑and‑blue shoes, a powerlifting belt, and her signature pigtails. With “Thunderstruck” blasting in the background, she locked in, bent her knees and grabbed the bar.
In one powerful motion, she pulled the weight to her waist, completing the remarkable lift. The 9‑year‑old broke into a huge smile and threw her arms up to flex her muscles.
When it comes to competition, the Milgrim told USA Today that she feels a great sense of accomplishment when she hits a “really big weight.”
In addition to her deadlift, the powerlifter has squatted 150 pounds and bench pressed 85 pounds, she told the outlet. During her first year of powerlifting, she set three American Records through the USA Powerlifting organization, her mother, Michelle, added.
To put her strength in perspective, many children her age are still learning basic form with light weights, not hoisting more than triple their bodyweight.
“People see these numbers, and they say, ‘Wow, she must be training really hard to get that number.’ The truth is, she just has a different baseline than most kids,” her father, Brett, told USA Today. “Lucy’s always been this really naturally strong kid.”
Besides powerlifting, Milgrim is passionate about wrestling, something her parents inspired her to pursue.
“My mom and dad; they were working out in the gym, and I saw them doing all this cool stuff, and I wanted to try it too,” she explained. “I got interested in wrestling because my dad is a wrestling coach and he used to bring me and my brother to wrestling practices.”
Milgrim has been wrestling competitively for three years and currently practices four or five days a week. Besides her father, she is coached by Vougar Oroudjov, who won the bronze medal for light-flyweight wrestling at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.
At the end of the day, her love for the sport comes from a youthful place.
“My favorite part of wrestling is when you get to hang out with all your friends, and when you win the match, you get your hand raised,” Milgrim said.
And despite being an internet sensation, she is still very much a kid at the end of the day.
“She doesn’t look at comments. She doesn’t know amounts of followers or views or any of that. She’s a 9-year-old girl. She does 9-year-old girl things,” Brett said. “She’ll go to wrestling practices, and she’ll come home and put on a dress and … play with her little sister.”
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