Montverde Academy Powerlifter and eighth grader Colby Helms has been awarded athlete of the week (February 18-24) for his tremendous accomplishments both in the classroom and in the sport of powerlifting. Helms has a cumulative GPA of 4.00 earning a spot on the A Honor Roll list several times and also has set several world records. The best lift that Helms recorded was raising his own WPC single ply, teen 13-15, 114-pound class deadlift world record from 231.5 lbs - 253.5 lbs at a body weight of 110 lbs.
"He holds multiple world records and he is going to set even more in the future," said Head Coach Eric Pauli. "He is a tremendous athlete who has an extremely bright future. As an overall student, his works speak for itself. He has a great character, very coachable, well driven, and it doesn't matter if the weather is rainy or cloudy, he will perform no matter what obstacles lie ahead of him."
Interview with Athlete of the Week Colby Helms:
Q: What inspired you to start powerlifting?
A: I wanted to improve my confidence and motor skills. I wanted to challenge myself and Coach Pauli believed that I could excel in the sport. After he spoke with me, I started to believe in my abilities and now I feel like I can really push past any obstacle that comes my way.
Q: What do you like the most about the sport?
A: When I am on the powerlifting stage, I feel like I can do anything. It helps me in a lot of ways and it's one of the things I look forward to after I am finished with my classes.
Q: What are your hobbies outside of powerlifting?
A: I love music and I play a bunch of instruments like the piano and bass. I like to write songs and I am actually in a couple of bands. My band is called "The Roaring Seas" and the other band I am in with a couple of seniors from East Ridge High School is called "Overhang". Check out his music below.
Q: What other clubs or organizations are you associated with at Montverde Academy?
A: I am in the Headmaster Leadership Institute (HLI) and I have been a part of that for four years now. The main reason why I wanted to be in HLI was to get to know other scholar-athletes and give back to the school. It has been an amazing experience so far and I am looking forward to high school next year.
