What do you do when you find yourself bored with your fitness routine and feeling like you’re not making progress? Jennifer Seymore, our April Athlete of the Month, found herself a coach and fell in love with powerlifting.

“I’m super excited with the changes I am noticing in my body,” Jennifer says.
Jennifer is 43, married with two teenagers, and started powerlifting with her coach, Kate Jones, almost two years ago.

“Up until a decade ago I would have never considered myself an athlete,” she says.
Jennifer’s always working toward improving her previous personal best at every competition she enters, and she’s currently working on 135 bench for reps.

Her motivation to lift comes from wanting to age gracefully.

“Too many people get old and stop being active,” she says. “I can't stop aging, but I can do the work to keep my body healthy and mobile.”

Jennifer’s worked in education for most of her career and currently serves as the Vice President of General Education & Applied Technologies as WSU Tech.

“I accidentally found myself in education almost 20 years ago and fell in love with it,” she says. “I love playing a small role to help our students reach their goals!”

She also loves to sing and attended Butler Community College and Friends University on vocal music scholarships.

In addition to all her talent and drive, Jennifer has some great advice for others.

“Progress isn't linear. When you set out to achieve a goal you will have setbacks and anyone who tells you differently is lying,” she says. “Sometimes, you have to embrace the suck and go through the motions until you break through a plateau. Progress will come if you are consistent, but it will take time. There is no quick fix; you have to be in it for the long-haul.”

She has also learned the importance of taking care of your body and asking for help when necessary.

“Know when to rest and when to seek help whether that is PT or a coach. I love powerlifting, but nothing about this journey would have been possible without the help of my coach and Courtney and Clayton to keep me safe and injury free.”