little miss powerlifter.

"Well, sisterfriend, I think I found my sport," she said as we walked outside to get some fresh air after her final lift.

I smiled and nodded in agreement, because I was so proud of her.

Proud of the passion and determination that shined brightly in her eyes. Proud of her ability to remain so humble while standing in front of a crowd of people shouting and cheering for her. Proud of the courage she showed in pushing her limits and achieving her goals. 

Just so proud.

At her first weightlifting competition, she won her weight division, broke two state records, got a new personal record, was asked to take a drug test because her strength was so astounding, had the biggest fan club in the room, and was runner-up to the best female lifter in the tournament.

She squatted 319 pounds:

She bench-pressed 187 pounds:

And she deadlifted 424 pounds, a personal record that made everyone's jaws hit to floor:

Nine-hundred and thirty pounds later, she got the medal that will begin her new collection.

Y'all read that, right? NINE-HUNDRED AND THIRTY POUNDS! If you're like me, even the thought of lifting that much weight makes your body hurt. Whew!

Y'all say it with me...

WAY TO GO, MELANIE!

She gave the phrase "Beauty and the Beast" a whole new meaning this day.