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Kaylee Bellmore and her father, Dan Bellmore, after Kaylee broke three national and world records at the Aug. 15 Maine State Powerlifting Championship, the first lifting competion for the Leavitt track and field athlete and gymnast. (Submitted photo)
GREENE — Kaylee Bellmore, 16, a junior at Leavitt Area High School, recently broke three world/national records at the Maine State Powerlifting Championship.
When the coronavirus pandemic canceled Kaylee’s high school track season and abruptly ended her competitive gymnastics season, she turned to weight training to stay fit. With the help of her dad, Dan, she trained with the powerlifting team three days a week. Kaylee and her father, who live in Greene, train at L/A Strength in Lewiston.
It didn’t take long for Dan to realize Kaylee had what it took to be competitive. Dan, a powerlifting national and world record holder himself, worked on preparing her for her first meet, teaching her proper form, following judges’ commands and mental toughness.
On Aug. 15, Kaylee competed at her very first meet, the Maine State Powerlifting Championship. At a body weight of 114 pounds, she opened up with a 126.7-pound squat, followed by a 154.2-pound second attempt. She finished with a 170.7-pound squat, earning a world/national record. She went on to bench press 88 pounds.
Then in the deadlift, her favorite event, Kaylee, opened with an easy 192.7-pound lift. Her second attempt, 225.7 pounds, earned her another world/national record. But she didn’t stop there. On her third attempt, Kaylee dead-lifted 242.5 pounds, breaking her own record.
Her overall total for the day tallied up to 501.25 pounds, giving her another world/national record.
Kaylee, who is also an honor student, is not quitting any time soon and is determined to compete again, she said. She was up early and at the gym the next day, and already is set on breaking more records at her next meet in September.
“I feel like I could have done more, my last squat and dead lift felt easy,” she said.
