Glen Head teen redefines girl power

Not many people would expect a 16-year-old girl to set records in powerlifting. Then again, North Shore High School junior Gracie Thill is proud to let you know that she doesn’t fit the mold of most girls her age.

On March 18, Thill set New York state records in her first powerlifting contest, deadlifting 275 pounds and squatting 200. Her deadlift, at the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate Meet in Mount Vernon, also set a national record in the 148-pound division for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Neither feat came as a surprise to Thill. “I always tell people that you have to convince yourself that you’re a champion and that you’re the best,” she said. “You need to be willing to put the work in for whatever you do, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Thill, of Glen Head, said that many of her friends and people she meets find it hard to believe that she’s a powerlifter, because she looks like a typical 16-year-old. She is 5 feet 8 and has a deceivingly lean figure. Her peers are in awe of the photos and videos of her powerlifting that she shares on Instagram. “I know that this is out of the ordinary for a 16-year-old girl to be a powerlifter,” she said, “but I think it’s a good representation of my school.”

Her mother, Diane, was a bit concerned when she first heard that her daughter was interested in becoming a powerlifter. But Diane soon realized how determined and focused Gracie was, and she has supported her ever since. “It’s wonderful, because she’s becoming an independent, responsible young lady,” she said. “If she has this kind of determination for everything else she pursues in life, she’s always going to be a champion.”

Gracie was always fascinated by the sport, because her father, Steve, was a powerlifter. Watching her father and her uncles train, she recalled, it was only a matter of time before she would follow in their footsteps. “The first time I got underneath a barbell to do a bench press, I knew from that point on that this was my calling,” said Thill, who signed up with the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate, an association of lifters, in December 2016.

She started going to the gym regularly when she was 12, and learned basic weightlifting exercises to maintain a healthy body. A natural athlete, she also played softball, but stopped last year to devote more of her time to the gym.

Thill has formed unique relationships with other powerlifters in her community. She started to train with her eleventh grade history teacher Jason Millard, a lifter who helped her devise a workout regimen last year. She also befriended 72-year-old powerlifter Arthur Miller when they met at Retro Fitness in Glen Cove.

“It’s been 50 years since I’ve seen anyone of her caliber and her talent in powerlifting,” said Miller, who frequently trains with Thill. “Her talent, her drive and her enthusiasm are just amazing.”

Miller, who lives in Sea Cliff, added that she inspired him to continue lifting when he thought about calling it quits about a year ago. But Thill credits Miller with helping her, too. She said he gives her extra motivation to compete.

Miller said he believes that Thill’s attitude toward the sport can influence other young women who may or not be interested in powerlifting.

She works out five to six days a week after school, and in the morning on weekends at Retro Fitness. Idolizing professional powerlifters like Laura Phelps-Sweatt and Gracie Vanasse, she keeps to a strict protein-based diet consisting of chicken, steak and milk.

Competing in a male-dominated sport isn’t the only thing that sets Thill apart from other girls. She is enrolled in the Nassau BOCES Barry Tech program, where she studies auto mechanics.

But powerlifting is her form of therapy. “This is my coping method with everyday situations,” she said. “If I had a stressful day at school, the gym is where I go to get my endorphins pumping.”

Thill’s goals include lifting a combined total of 1,000 pounds in competition, in the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. Her next competition is in September, and she’s only thinking about one thing. “It’s just me against the barbell,” she said. “Ninety-five percent of the time, I win.”