FROM THE PUBLISHER

PEOPLE

Alexis Gamez

Raising the bar for female weightlifters.

INTERVIEWER: JAMES COMBS ≈ PHOTO: NICOLE HAMEL

VITAL STATS

• Will graduate Leesburg High School in 2021. • Captain of LHS weightlifting team. • Student representative for the LHS program Pledge Against Bullying.

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How do you balance academics, athletics,

and clubs? I keep a Google calendar. Also, the and clubs? Skills USA program has taught me planning, Skills USA program has taught me planning, organizing, and time management. They also teach organizing, and time management. They also teach us exibility and adaptability. I’ve learned to be us exibility and adaptability. I’ve learned to be exible with my time. exible with my time.

You’re a female weightlifter. Are you a

tomboy or girly? Girly. I wear white bows tomboy or girly? to big weightlifting meets. Nobody else has a to big weightlifting meets. Nobody else has a bow; it’s my signature thing. So, I’m all about bow; it’s my signature thing. So, I’m all about bows and barbells. I also love to shop, put on bows and barbells. I also love to shop, put on makeup, and wear dresses. makeup, and wear dresses. How strong are you? I can bench press 160 pounds. I can back squat 260 pounds. My clean pounds. I can back squat 260 pounds. My clean and jerk is 180 pounds. Pound for pound, I’m and jerk is 180 pounds. Pound for pound, I’m the strongest female on my team. I set a school the strongest female on my team. I set a school record in the bench press and hold the school’s record in the bench press and hold the school’s total record for bench press plus clean and jerk. total record for bench press plus clean and jerk. see me lifting the same amount of weight they are, there’s no gender barrier. They don’t think it’s weird I’m lifting as much as they can. And I don’t see myself any di erent from the boys. You can still be pretty and lift barbells.

Do your male counterparts respect you?

Yes. When they come into the weight room and see me lifting the same amount of weight they are, there’s no gender barrier. They don’t think it’s weird I’m lifting as much as they can. And I don’t see myself any di erent from the boys. You can still be pretty and lift barbells.

ALEXIS HAS A 3.8 GRADE-POINT AVERAGE A 3.8 GRADE-POINT AVERAGE

• President of Student Government

Association (SGA), Region 2 vice president of Skills USA, and a member president of Skills USA, and a member of the school’s Beta Club, National Honor of the school’s Beta Club, National Honor

Society, Interact Club, and Triad Club. Society, Interact Club, and Triad Club.

What advice would you give small girls

considering weightlifting? Seek discomfort, risk boldly, considering weightlifting? and always try to get out of your comfort zone. and always try to get out of your comfort zone. intake—147 grams a day. I use an app called MyFitnessPal that logs my steps for the day and how many calories I consume in a day. Each morning I complete 150 pushups and 180 crunches. Then I do 30 split squats. I also run two miles each day after school and spend 25 hours each week in the weight room.

How do you stay strong and fi t? I have a high protein

intake—147 grams a day. I use an app called MyFitnessPal that logs my steps for the day and how many calories I consume in a day. Each morning I complete 150 pushups and 180 crunches. Then I do 30 split squats. I also run two miles each day after school and spend 25 hours each week in the weight room.

You are a strong anti-bullying advocate. Tell me

about that. about that.I got into the program my freshman year. I saw a group of people who had others saying bad things saw a group of people who had others saying bad things about them. I wanted to be there for those students. Being about them. I wanted to be there for those students. Being someone who others could talk to and rely on is the person someone who others could talk to and rely on is the person

I enjoy being. When students come up to me and attempt to I enjoy being. When students come up to me and attempt to badmouth another student, I don’t have anything to do with badmouth another student, I don’t have anything to do with it. I do not tolerate badmouthing at all. it. I do not tolerate badmouthing at all.

Future plans? My rst choice is to attend Lake-

Sumter State College and then attend nursing school Sumter State College and then attend nursing school at the University of Central Florida. Lately, though, I’ve at the University of Central Florida. Lately, though, I’ve been considering going into the hospitality and tourism been considering going into the hospitality and tourism industry. I was in my school’s culinary program for three industry. I was in my school’s culinary program for three years, so if I did something in hospitality and tourism, it years, so if I did something in hospitality and tourism, it would be baking. would be baking.

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