BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. – One Bradford County teen is now a world champion in powerlifting at the age of 18 years old.
Mahailya Reeves and Courtney Comer — from Bradford High School in Starke — took five Gold medals and three Silver medals home during the 2022 World Classic & Equipped Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships in Istanbul, Turkey on September 04.
“Knowing that I actually accomplished like a big big thing it makes me feel like I’m on top of the world,” Reeves said. “And coming from my small town and small community is like, unbelievable to do that.”
Related: Local teens representing Team USA win gold, silver medals during 2022 Powerlifting Championships
Competing against the strongest women from around the world — Reeves beat the women’s open record on bench, hitting 361 pounds.
“I’m still in shocked that I did it but like it is an unbelievable goal like to have and I actually accomplished it,” Reeves said.
Reeves’s next goal is to continue to compete and become the strongest bench woman in the world with a total of 400 pounds which she says she is only 15 pounds away from hitting that mark.
She and her teammate Courtney Comer were the only teens out of Florida to compete in this competition.
Mahailya Reeves World Championship stats:
Mahailya Reeves, who just graduated from Bradford High School, won four gold medals — placing first overall for the 84 Kg+ class at the 2022 Junior World Championships.
“Mahailya went 7/9 totaling a new junior world record 594.5kg/1,310lb in the 84+kg junior class!” Powerlifting America said. She opened bench with a junior world record and finished the bench with the open world record! She collected 4 gold medals to go along with her two world records.
Squat Attempts
- 220kg/485lb. Good lift.
- 225kg/496lb. Good lift.
- 230kg/507lb. Good lift for gold🥇 (shown)
Bench Attempts
- 152kg/335lb. Good lift.
- 164.5kg/362lb. No lift.
- 164.5kg/362lb. Good lift for gold🥇 (shown)
Deadlift Attempts
- 190kg/418lb. Good lift.
- 200kg/440lb. Good lift for gold🥇 (shown)
- 222.5kg/490lb. No lift.
Total: 594.5kg/1,310lb🥇
Reeves plans on attending Lake City Community College on a weightlifting scholarship.