As many SSU students know, college is full of opportunities to challenge oneself, whether it’s academically, socially or personally. At the Shawnee State Weightlifting Club, students may push their physical boundaries and exceed their body’s limits.
Alongside weightlifting and building strength, the club also strives to foster a supportive, non-judgmental and overall welcoming fitness-based community. Whether someone’s an experienced lifter or a beginner who’s never touched a dumbbell, as long as they have an interest in lifting weights, all are welcome.
If someone is unsure how to start weightlifting, the club’s members are always ready to help, especially the club’s president, Toby Evans.
“I’ve trained a lot of people in my past … probably like half a dozen people I’ve trained from not being able to bench press 80 pounds to being able to go up to 135 and beyond,” Evans said.
Although the club mainly focuses on weightlifting, it also offers fun and challenging activities such as their recent “Squatober” event where members did daily squats in October. There was also a Halloween gym session where members worked out in costumes. The Shawnee State Weightlifting Club also frequently works with the Hiking Club, another physical activity-based club on campus.
With 13 members, the club offers a more personal and close-knit community that strives to uplift and support one another. For the fall 2024 semester, the club meets every weekday at 7 a.m. at the gym, located in the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center. At the beginning of the spring 2025 semester, the board members plan to determine their meeting dates and times based on when the majority of members are available.
Anyone interested in joining the Shawnee State Weightlifting Club can do so in several ways, including contacting the club through their Presence page, asking a current member to connect them with a board member, attending any of their meetings or by emailing the club’s president, Toby Evans, directly.
As for the future of the club, Evans hopes to gain more members and eventually have the club begin competing in powerlifting competitions.
“The biggest thing is a lot of people are afraid of getting into the gym,” Evans said. “They’re afraid that others are gonna judge them or make them feel weak or not able. You won’t have that worry with our club.”
The Shawnee State Weightlifting Club’s main goal is not just to build physical strength and stamina, but also to help students develop more confidence and become the best possible version of themselves.
