At the FHSAA Class 1A Weightlifting State Championship, Union County High School’s Mahailya Reeves set a state record bench press of 375 pounds. Along with her 225-pound clean and jerk, Reeves won the 2020 FHSAA Girls Weightlifting State Championship.
“Over the years, it took a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, a lot of crying, and it took a lot of mental toughness to get to the point that I’m at now,” Reeves said.
Union County High School weightlifting coach Bryan Griffis coached her older sisters as well. He says from the moment he met Reeves when she was in the fifth grade, he knew she was something special.
“She started out very young, and she was really strong,” Griffis said. “The first day in the gym, she was squatting about 135. She’s a phenomenal athlete, and she has a big heart.”
Reeves, also known as “Big Ru,” now squats 500 pounds. She is striving to be the strongest woman in the world. Her coach is confident that she can accomplish that goal.
“In two months, she’s going to be the strongest woman in the world,” Griffis said. “She’s going to bench 400. Maybe more.”
In two months, she is traveling to Pilsen, Czech Republic, to compete at the 2020 International Powerlifting Federation Championship. This time, she plans on benching even more than what she did for the state title.
“I’ve worked hard for it; I really did,” Reeves said. “In the Czech Republic, I know I’m going to get 400.”
The large social media following she has gained has led to thousands of supporters, as well as doubters. But she says that hasn’t impacted her character or her mentality.
“I’m a nice and genuine person,” Reeves said. “It was pretty crazy when my videos went viral when I benched 360. We’re just going through the same thing now, just have to deal with haters. But there’s a lot of kind people I’ve met during my journey, so it’s pretty normal now.”
With the bar already set extremely high, Griffis believes that this is just the beginning for Big Ru.
“She’s pretty intimidating,” Griffis said. “I think before her senior year, we’ll break every record.”
Written by: Nathan Dean
