Brea Hunter was a standout goalkeeper on three State Cup champion club soccer teams, but a second knee injury effectively ended her playing career.
The injuries, however, did not end Hunter’s time as a competitive athlete. The Columbus East graduate took up powerlifting, and last weekend, won the Teen III (18-19-year old) Raw National Powerlifting Championship.
“Even with my prep for nationals, I don’t think it was (coach Jeremy) Hartman and my goal to win,” Hunter said. “It was just to post the highest numbers I could, and it just so happened that I ended up winning.”
The national meet was only the third powerlifting competition ever for Hunter, who took up the sport after starting classes at Indiana University in January 2020. She gave it a try after enjoying her time in former East strength coach Scott Pherson’s weights class her senior year.
“I liked lifting heavy weights,” Hunter said. “I didn’t really get into powerlifting until last year. That’s really when I started taking it seriously, when I was out on my own in Bloomington and didn’t have anything else to do. I was looking to fill the void of soccer I had my entire life.”
Hunter was the goalkeeper on the Columbus Express team that won the U13 State Cup in 2015, the Alliance FC/Columbus Express team that captured the U14 State Cup in 2016 and the Indy Premier team that won the U15 State Cup in 2017. But she dislocated her right knee cap and missed the 2016 State Cup before returning for the regional. Hunter dislocated the same kneecap during the 2017 State Cup.
This time, she had reconstructive knee surgery and was finished with soccer.
“I had dislocated my knee before that, and all I did was (physical therapy), and I decided it wasn’t worth it to continue to play,” Hunter said. “When I came back, I was so excited, and then I did it again. After I hurt my knee the first time, and I wasn’t able to have reconstructive surgery, I was mentally over it. Playing collegiate soccer was never a thought in my mind. I was really happy with where I was at that point.”
Hunter never played soccer for the Olympians, but did run track her freshman year. She graduated from East in December 2019, a semester before the rest of her class.
Soon after starting at IU, Hunter joined Iron Pit gym in Bloomington.
“Everybody there is doing some sort of Olympic lifting or powerlifting, so I was sort of immersed in that community,” Hunter said.
Hunter’s first meet was in December in Indianapolis. She was the only competitor in her division.
“I just set out for that meet to decide if it’s something I wanted to do long term or not,” Hunter said. “Then, this year, I started working with my coach because it came naturally and was something I wanted to do.”
So Hunter drove to Bargersville twice a week to train with Hartman, a six-time national powerlifting champion. She won her division in March in St. Louis to qualify for nationals.
At the national championships in Aurora, Colorado, Hunter put up 292 pounds on the squad, 182 pounds on the bench and 363 pounds on the deadlift for a total of 837 pounds. All were personal records, and she won the Teen III Raw (which means competitors’ equipment is limited to knee sleeves, belt and wrist wraps) Division by 77 pounds.
Hunter is Hartman’s sixth pupil to win a national powerlifting championship.
“Since I’ve been working with my coach, everything has gotten so much better,” Hunter said. “I just have a really good support system and coaching staff behind me that knows how the nationals work and how to manipulate my selections in order to do the best I could in that meet.”
Hunter is almost finished with her sophomore year at IU. She is majoring in human biology and wants to go to med school and become a doctor.
Next year, Hunter will move up to the Collegiate (20-23-year-old) Junior Division. Powerlifting is not an Olympic sport, but has a Team USA that competes against different countries each year.
“I think that Hartman and my goal from here is to get named to a national team and maybe pursue a junior national title,” Hunter said. “That’s the best-case scenario.”
