Essay: Lifting yourself up to do the ‘scary thing’

Published by Macey Shofroth on July 7, 2025July 7, 2025

By Saundra Longhenry

I picked up a barbell for the first time at the age of 35 and I was hooked. There is a feeling of power that comes from picking up the barbell. I enjoy lifting; to be successful I have to clear my head of self-doubt and negativity. You must think about your breathing, bracing your core, where your hands are, where your feet are. I not only gain confidence from lifting, I gain clarity. I get to shut the world out for an hour or two each time. I get to spend time with myself, improving myself, filling my own cup and ensuring that as I age, I maintain my muscle mass to keep me healthy and mobile.

I set an intention at the beginning of 2024 to focus. Focus on what made me happy, focus on what made me feel good, focus on those who fill my cup. At the beginning of 2025 I selected “fearless” as my word and intention for the year. I am going to make fearless choices; I am going to do things that scare me. I am living fearless. That is not the absence of fear; for me it is using fear to accomplish new goals. Harnessing that feeling and asking it why it is there. So naturally when an offhand comment led me to signing up for the Women’s Barbell Classic last August, I said no. Then I thought about it and said why not, and I changed my answer to yes. I signed up and I panicked. I don’t like to be center stage. I am a behind-the-scenes kind of gal. I’m more likely to be the director than the star. I fretted about it for close to six months while I trained, telling very few people, leaving room to withdraw and give someone else the chance to compete if I wanted to.

The Women’s Barbell Classic started seven years ago. I heard about it over the years and thought maybe one day. Then I got older and one day seemed unlikely. I’m so glad I said yes at 47. What a powerful environment to step outside my comfort zone!

The week of the meet it hit me with equal parts excitement for the adventure and dread for realizing I was going to stand on a stage in front of a bunch of strangers and lift. This is so out of my comfort zone. I read the rules, I figured out my opening weights, I went to the official weigh-in to determine flights.

The night before I was a little scared, a little excited, a lot overwhelmed. I knew I could do this, I was going to do this, and it was going to be OK. I woke up on March 22 and I was excited, no turning back now. The Women’s Barbell Classic is unlike any other sporting event I have ever attended. I walked in on Saturday morning to a party. The music, the lights, the dancing and the women welcoming each other. What a cool experience! The ages ranged from 8 to 70 for the lifters. I saw women my mom’s age showing up and showing out! Heck, yes!

It was so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. The scaries hit, and I thought, this is overwhelming, I don’t know if I can do this.

There were nine flights, and I was in the last one. As I waited my anxieties grew. What if? And then it was time. There was so much adrenaline pumping through my body, I felt like I might burst into tears. I had picked a weight I knew I could do; I wanted a “gimme” for that first lift. I went out there, I didn’t look at the crowd or my family sitting in the stands. I walked straight to the bench, got settled and did it. I did it! I felt relieved. I gave them my next weight – I hit that one.

Feeling the excitement build, I went big for my last lift and as we waited my turn my coach and I talked it through. It’s OK if I don’t make it, I thought, I already hit two, this one is much bigger and I have only done it one other time. I went out there, praying I would be able to hit the lift. My foot slid off the floor and I got a red card, but I kept going and finished the lift. I was pumped – I had failed a lift, and I was pumped!

I did it, I put myself out there and succeeded. I felt my confidence grow. I was bursting with pride! Deadlift was later in the day, and the waiting started over. I nailed all three of my lifts. My team was excited for me, my friends and family were excited, but the best part was the feeling. I had accomplished my scary thing! I can’t wait for the 2026 event.

A piece of advice: Try your own scary thing. Here are tips for doing just that:

• Find a friend to tackle it with.
• Ask questions, research the activity (or job, trip, committee).
• Dig deep and figure out why it seems so scary or uncomfortable.
• Find your grit.
• Have fun!

Trying scary things can often be the most rewarding experiences even if they go poorly. I’m always proud that I stepped out of my comfort zone even when I would not repeat the experience. You don’t know what you’re made of until you push those boundaries. One of my favorite quotes that I lean on in times of uncertainty is from O.R. Melling: “When you come to the edge of all that you know, you must believe one of two things: There will be ground to stand. Or you will grow wings to fly.”

Saundra Longhenry lives in Nevada with her husband, Jeremy, and their two German Shepherds, Duke and Aggie. She is the marketing and sales coordinator at Keen Project Solutions LLC in Ankeny.