We're thrilled to welcome you to the first edition of the USA Powerlifting Women’s newsletter! A go-to resource for all things related to women’s powerlifting, USAPL, and the value of the journey of women like you who are breaking barriers and reaching new heights of empowerment. 

Who Are We? 

This is more than just a newsletter. It's a community, a movement, and a celebration of the strength and resilience that women bring to the world of powerlifting. Our mission is to inspire, educate, and support each other on our powerlifting journeys. Regardless if you are at the beginning of your journey, a seasoned pro, or anywhere in between, you belong here.  

What to Expect from Us 

Monthly Newsletter: We plan to include interviews, member spotlights, technique and nutrition highlights, ways to improve mindset, information on events, and more! 

Podcast: YouTube podcast with the committee members and guest speakers. 

Educational Posts: Dive into tips and strategies on training to help you become a formidable powerlifter. 

Inspiration and Success Stories: Be inspired by incredible women who've conquered challenges and triumphed in powerlifting. 

Community Building: Stay informed about powerlifting meets, local clubs, and member meetups. 

Meet Your Team 

The USA Powerlifting Women’s Committee is a team of dedicated athletes and enthusiasts. We are passionate about promoting the growth of women in powerlifting, and we can't wait to share our knowledge, experiences, and insights with you. We have grown to love this sport and want to share that love by giving back and creating our community alongside each of you.

Heather Faas, Women’s Committee Chair  

Heather is an avid doer of any and all things. She has a self-described problem to

saying yes to everything when she sees something that needs to be done, that is

different or challenging, or looks plain fun!!! Heather owns her own gym, Titus Strength and Fitness, and coaching business, as well as two Clean Eatz Cafes. She homeschools 2 of her 3 kiddos and enjoys all things outdoors. Heather and her husband are in their second term as SC State Chairs, she servers our community as the Women’s Committee Chair, she’s on the USA Powerlifting Executive Committee, and a Pro Open and Masters lifter.

Jordan Braund, Women’s Committee Member 

Jordan Braund currently works at a high school as an educational assistant. Jordan is

also an Assistant Soccer coach at that school and the head powerlifting coach. She is

starting up her own online training, specializing in the disabled and plans to open an adaptive athlete gym. As Jordan describes, powerlifting gave her an identity at a young age and has changed her life forever. With this, she wants to share her love for the sport.

Isabella Marrale, Women’s Committee Member

Isabella Marrale is a third year Movement Science student at the University of Michigan.

She has been powerlifting for about two years now and has competed in 5 meets! 

Isabella loves to spend time with her family, friends, and nature.

Mandy Munsch, Women’s Committee Member 

Mandy is a biomechanist by training and just finished her PhD in biomedical engineering. She investigated how injuries like ACL tears change the way people move, why that predisposes them to osteoarthritis later in life, and what we can do to intervene (hint: strengthen those quads!). Mandy is excited to join us in growing the number of women and girls in strength sports, seeing the opportunity to help women establish strength training habits and improve long term health. She loves writing about science. You can find Mandy splitting her time between powerlifting and soccer, finding herself either at a meet or on the field most weekends.

Racheal Paveglio, Women’s Committee Member 

Racheal Paveglio works in IT Operations in Agricultural lending. Racheal started her

journey into powerlifting through CrossFit about 6 years ago. Today you can find Racheal competing as a USAPL Pro Masters lifter and Open USAPL competitor as well as a Strongman athlete.

Like Heather, Racheal enjoys getting involved even in situations where she may not yet be sure where her skills can be used. Previously, Racheal stepped in as the interim state chair for North Dakota, has tried her hand as a meet director bringing one of the first USAPL meets to ND, and spends time trying to make strength sports more accessible to women.

Daynya Quigley, Women’s Committee Member

Daynya is a software developer, nutrition coach, masters powerlifter and yoga

instructor. She has a strong passion for helping women to fuel their lives and to find the strength that lies within them. In all Daynya’s pursuits, her goal is to help bridge the perceived gaps that exist and to help women finding confidence, empowerment and joy in their daily lives. Outside of lifting, Daynya is an avid social-media avoider, loves to

cook, read, spend time with her husband and their crazy animals, and soak up the outdoors as much as is humanly possible.

Sophia Veiras, Women’s Committee Member 

Sophia Veiras wears many hats; physical therapist, pro powerlifter, coach, entrepreneur, educator, creative. Her ultimate mission is combating the gender disparities that exist across the board from sports to education to business by empowering women to shatter limits & break barriers. 

Sophia helps individuals bridge the gap from rehab to performance through her powerlifting coaching company, Collaborative Strength. She is a course instructor for Barbell Rehab, teaching the Barbell Rehab Method Certification, and has her own online course, Unique Considerations for the Female Barbell Athlete. Working on her course & content for her business exposed a love for the interplay between graphic design & education.

Our Ask 

We encourage you to engage with our community. Share your progress, ask questions, and connect with like-minded women on this empowering journey. We're here to answer your questions, facilitate building a community, and celebrate your achievements. Please reach out with questions, comments, ideas for future additions or just to say hi!

Stay Updated 

To ensure you don't miss a single issue, please add our email address

([email protected]) to your contacts. Also, be sure to follow us on IG @usapowerliftingwomen (https://instagram.com/usapowerliftingwomen) for more

content, community highlights, and special announcements. 

We're excited to have you on board, and we can't wait to embark on this empowering journey together. Whether you're a seasoned powerlifter or just getting started, you are a valuable part of our community, and we're here to support you every step of the way. 

Thank you for being here with us. Stay strong, stay motivated, and stay empowered! 

Sincerely,

USA Powerlifting Women’s Committee

[email protected]