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Girl power: Lene Claire Romero
ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY) -- Vermilion Catholic's Lene Claire Romero would first get exposed to lifting in 8th grade. It would lead her to compete.
While she finished 4th in her first competition, she was quite encouraged.
"I think in that moment I was like, okay, if I keep at this, I think that first is a possibility," she explained.
Romero would later win her first state championship.
"I get called nonchalant a lot, I guess I'm pretty calm about things," she said. "So, I guess I just walked off the platform, and I was like, 'I won.' That's pretty much how it really is. It felt like the beginning of something. I just didn't know what."
In April of this year, Romero would win the Powerlifting America High School national championship
"There was a tinge of emotion there," Romero said, reflecting on her victory. "You know, I teared up a little bit against my dad. He cried, and he never cries."
She will head to Costa Rica in the world championships, proud to represent Acadiana on the global stage.
"It certainly instills a sort of community pride in me to be able to do that," Romero said.
Romero also says it's important for her to serve as a role model to women and girls everywhere.
"You don't you don't see it a lot, like you don't see, I guess, the 97-pound girls or the 123, is like Khandi (Shufford) or I guess I guess like me. You don't see or like Briley (Batiste), just girls in general. You don't see them being represented, I guess, as strong in a weightlifting sense. So, I think that having these girls to look up to and reach for is good," she explained.