Erik Willis said he used to be the “fat kid.”
Now, as Willis graduates from Carleton with a master’s degree, he leaves with the distinction of being Carleton’s most successful powerlifter.
He won his division at the 2014 Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU) national championships, setting a new record with a deadlift of 683 lbs. and a Canadian record with a total of nearly 1,700 lbs. for the meet.
At the February 2015 College and University Challenge, Willis won the 120-kg class while winning awards for best squat, best deadlift, and best male lifter at the event.
He also led the charge for powerlifting to be recognized as a varsity sport by the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).
The Charlatan spoke with Willis, who will also be representing Carleton at the CPU national championships from April 7-11.
The Charlatan (TC): You’ve represented Carleton at multiple powerlifting competitions throughout your time here. What would be your favourite moment over the years?
Erik Willis (EW): My favourite moment would be the start of the team two years ago and since then, winning nationals with my friend, teammate, and training partner Phil Brougham, and this past year, leading 13 competitors to a win at Seneca College at the College and University championship.
TC: Where will you be next year?
EW: [I have a] bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and my master’s is in electrical engineering, so I hope to . . . work in the space industry, but if not, anything in electrical engineering would be fantastic.
TC: Will you still be powerlifting?
EW: I think powerlifting is a sport you don’t need to dedicate all sorts of time to. There’s a lot of time to train, but it’s not like competitive hockey or football . . . so I do keep planning on powerlifting.
TC: How did you first get into the sport?
EW: I was the fat kid for the longest time. I got into running to lose weight and then decided that running wasn’t for me anymore. It took too much effort to get the sense of accomplishment. I found strength training and people started asking if I competed and I was like, ‘No, what’s that?’ and then I was told about powerlifting and got into the sport that way.
TC: How have you matured as a competitive powerlifter?
EW: We started the team two years ago, and . . . I’ve learned a lot more about the sport and composure and being a team player. I did play a bit of rugby in high school . . . but since then [powerlifting] has helped me grow as a person and a teammate.
TC: Did you have any specific people who mentored you along the way?
EW: Not exactly. It’s a lot of being self-taught. At my first competition, I knew no one and no one was there to help me, and I did terrible. So one of the motivations for starting the club was to give people the support they need, so ever since then, every time we’ve competed there’s been someone to support me and support others.
TC: What will you miss most about attending Carleton?
EW: Just the people. The people really make the school. I’m going to miss all my training partners but since the gym is open to anyone, I’ll probably still be around.
