OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — At O-Town Iron gym there’s two powerlifters working hard for their upcoming meet, as they’ll be the only two representatives from Wisconsin at the USA Powerlifting Youth Nationals in South Carolina.
“I feel like it’s a place i can get away (from all) my problems and it just makes me happy,” said Aubrie Hickey an Oshkosh native who will be going into her freshman year next fall.
“it’s fun that you are able to just compete against other kids,” said Bentley Del Vecchio, who will soon be a sixth-grader.
Del Vecchio started powerlifting to get better physically for football. As a center on the o-line, there’s two areas powerlifting helps him.
“Power (and) explosion,” said he said.
In his first competition back in February, he took home first place. It was a special moment for Bentley and his dad, Alex, who trains him and is the powerlifting coach at Oshkosh North High School.
“I'm not going to lie, I teared up,” Alex said. “It was a big moment for me. Being able to know that we did it together, being able to work as a family and just help him accomplish something that he can remember for the rest of his life.”
Hickey is also coached by Del Vecchio and began powerlifting to get stronger on the mat – she’s a pretty accomplished wrestler.
“It feels like I'm not scared to go out of my comfort zone (anymore) and with wrestling I'm not scared to go wrestle,” she said. “I feel like i can do it.”
Hickey, who just recently started powerlifting, also won her first meet in February.
“She’s just extremely dedicated,” coach Del Vecchio said. “She doesn’t ever want to give up and she’s willing to put in the time and work and that’s all you can really ever ask for in an athlete.”
Both Aubrie and Bentley are heading to the youth nationals in Greenville, South Carolina. However, for Aubrie and her coach, they’re not worried about winning or losing.
“It's just beating my own self,” Hickey said. “Placing is just a number.”
“They don’t even have to win, but just knowing that they pushed themselves to another level and seeing that joy in their face when they come off is just amazing,” said Del Vecchio.
