LEHI, Utah (ABC4) — A Lehi competitive powerlifter preparing to represent Utah on the national stage is holding an open competition on April 25 to raise funds.
Amelia DeCoil is a lifelong athlete and record-holding state powerlifting champion in the 44kg weight class. From May 25-30, she will be representing Utah at the United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Nationals in California.
To raise funds for the trip, DeCoil is hosting an open competition at her gym, CrossFit Lehi, on April 25 from noon to 5 p.m. The deadlift-focused event, dubbed “Pulls & PRs,” is open and welcoming to all, regardless of skill level, age or gender.
“The biggest thing I want to represent is women on the platform, small lifters on the platform… If you’re not used to the gym scene, it can be very intimidating, and I just want to show anyone has the opportunity to be on that platform,” DeCoil told ABC4.
To affirm this dedication, DeCoil said that Pulls & PRs will use DOTS, a system that factors in body weight and sex into one’s score. She added that she’s proud that the ratio of men to women in CrossFit has leveled off in recent years.
“I think it just opens so many opportunities and connections for women out there to just be able to cheer each other on and say ‘If she can do it, why can’t I,’ and that’s really my biggest motivation,” she said.
Pulls & PRs is especially welcoming to newcomers, as weightlifting community veterans seek out first-timers to help their technique and hype them up, DeCoil expressed. “We’re cheering them on just as much as we are watching a guy back squat 1,000 pounds… It’s such a beautiful community.”
To learn more about Amelia’s journey to the 2026 USPA Nationals, visit Pulls & PRs’ event website.
