Pursuit is a sports feature series highlighting athletes, coaches, and staff and significant sporting events from North Bay and the surrounding area.
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Ashley Di Benedetto’s debut in powerlifting was nothing short of spectacular.
The North Bay mother of two secured first place in her weight category and set three national records: a 35 kg (77.1 lbs) bench press, an 82.1 kg (181 lbs) deadlift, and an overall total lift of 112 kg (246.9 lbs). These accomplishments took place at the Iron Resurrection event in Orleans, Ontario, promoted by Iron Haus Fitness and sanctioned by WPC Canada Powerlifting.
Reflecting on her first competition, DiBenedetto admitted, “I always feel really humble when I talk about it. But yes, it did turn out well. I honestly went in not caring how I placed. I thought, what happens, happens. If I don’t lift what I’ve been lifting, it’s fine. I just wanted to get there and prove to myself that I could do it. That was my goal.”
Her performance far exceeded her expectations. Di Benedetto shared the adrenaline rush she experienced during the event: “The judges told us, just go for broke. They have enough spotters there, and they’re never going to let you get hurt. Knowing that, just pushed me more to want to set that personal record. I had no idea what the bar was set to on my third attempt. I got the lift in, and after I came off stage, Jen said it was 170 lbs. I went out for a fourth attempt and picked it up again—this time, it was set to 181 lbs. To set an 181 lb PR on stage in front of everyone was incredible.”
Despite initially disliking fitness, Di Benedetto was inspired to start training after having her daughter. She shared, “I actually hated fitness. I used to be an athlete, but after years of not doing anything and becoming an adult, I ended up having these thoughts after I had my daughter—I wanted to do something good for myself, be healthy, and allow myself to play with my kids.”
Her best friend introduced her to Jen Lavigne-McConnell, a self-employed personal trainer with Absolute Strength and Wellness. “I reached out to Jen and told her, ‘This isn’t personal, but I’m gonna hate everything we do, and I’m not gonna want to be here. Just so you know.’ To Jen’s credit, she was great. Her energy was amazing, and she actually made me want to come back and work out. We were just doing personal training, learning how to do things properly with skill.”
It was during these sessions that Di Benedetto discovered her passion for powerlifting.
“Jen introduced me to the three main lifts for powerlifting, and I fell in love with it almost immediately,” she said. “I thought it was amazing. I continued to lift and train with Jen until I was 38 weeks pregnant with my son. After taking six weeks off, I went right back into it. It was empowering for me, so I set the goal of doing my own competition.”
Di Benedetto’s journey wasn’t without its challenges. “There was a meet set for May and at that point, I thought I was never going to be ready for this emotionally. Jen kept telling me that I was ready physically to compete, but I kept saying I was not there mentally. I had that imposter syndrome of thinking I didn’t belong in this space because I’m not a powerlifter, so I set a goal to compete at the next one in July.”
Lavigne-McConnell, who has a background in gymnastics and nearly a decade of powerlifting experience, emphasized the importance of enjoying the journey rather than focusing solely on the end goal. “As a trainer, when clients first come to me, I just encourage them to keep coming back for themselves. Just get in the gym and work towards making yourself feel good. I focus a lot on error detection and correction, which comes from my gymnastics background. I look at things in terms of biomechanics—what should be working, what muscles should be firing. The efficiency of the movement is so important.”
She continued, “I don’t throw anybody under the bar until I’m 110% confident that they have the capability to do the movements in a safe and productive way. It’s not about the end result. It’s about the journey of getting there. I love Ashley’s story because she came in saying, ‘I don’t care what you do. I’m not going to like this,’ and to go from that to the other side where she’s out doing meets, it’s just amazing.”
Di Benedetto also praised Lavigne-McConnell’s approach, saying, “Jen created an environment where I wasn’t intimidated. I was one-on-one with her, able to laugh and joke, and even bring my kids when I had to. She approached everything in a very non-judgmental and functional way, explaining things in a way that just made sense to me.”
The camaraderie and support Di Benedetto experienced at her first competition have solidified her commitment to powerlifting. “Now that I’ve done one, there’s no going back for me,” she said. “The environment, the camaraderie, the support everyone gives each other—it is incredible.”
Lavigne-McConnell also noted the growing shift in women’s fitness towards strength and empowerment. “There’s a huge shift in women’s fitness now. It’s going back to science-based health. We’re not in there with the goal of being as tiny as we can be. Now we’re in there to be powerful, to show off our strength.”
Di Benedetto echoed this sentiment, highlighting the inclusivity of the sport. “At the competition, there was a competitor who was 15 and another competitor who was 73. Fitness, and powerlifting, are ageless and non-discriminatory. People from all different backgrounds were competing—there were people there earning degrees in nuclear physics and doing this as their choice to be healthy and active. It didn’t matter who you were. It was all about your own strength, your own power, and what your body can do.”
Di Benedetto is already gearing up for her next competition in October, driven by the momentum and confidence she gained from her first meet. She encourages others to consider powerlifting or any fitness journey for themselves, regardless of where they start. “You don’t have to be a certain type of person to begin,” she says. “It’s about finding something that empowers you and makes you feel strong, both physically and mentally. If I can do it, anyone can.”
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