Parsons sophomore shows weightlifting isn’t just for boys

PARSONS, Kan. — A sophomore at Parsons High School continues to thrive in weightlifting.

In fact, Autumn Sands is a two-time national champion.

After watching her parents train for CrossFit, she asked if she could give it a try. She was 10-years-old when she won her first CrossFit competition.

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Last year, she won a state title in power lifting for Parsons. A few months later, she won a national title in the USA Weightlifting Competition. Then, in September she won another national title in a competition in California — which qualified her for an international competition this coming May in Peru.

So, don’t tell her this is something only boys can do.

“I feel like that just makes me even more motivated. You know, proving everybody wrong, that girls can do lift heavy weights and do these hard sports and it doesn’t even have to be weight lifting, just anything,” said Sands.

This year’s International Weightlifting Federation World Youth Championships begin on May 22 in Lima, Peru.

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