Although Hudson Peoples is a powerlifting national champion now, he was not always on this path.
Peoples quit football late in his sophomore year to pursue powerlifting, and he doesn’t regret it.
“I feel really accomplished, like doing something on my own,” Peoples said. “It makes me feel like nobody could really take this away from me or say that someone did the work for me. I did everything and got here by myself.”
Peoples said powerlifting gave him something he didn’t have to share. It gave him a space where every number on the bar, every pound he lifted, reflected his work, his time, his grind. Nobody else could take that credit or the blame.
To him, that ownership meant more than any touchdown ever could.
“I was always asked like am I going to play football, and the team could really use me,” Peoples said. “Man, I wanted to do my own thing. I wanted to make something out of myself, instead of being a part of something. I wanted to be the whole system. And that’s where powerlifting came in.”
Even those in Peoples’ life can tell that powerlifting has been better for him.
“I feel like he’s more himself here,” childhood friend Tommy Payne said. “He’s found what he loves to do, so it’s just good to see him having fun out there.”
Being immersed in an individual sport like powerlifting means there’s no one to rely on or push you forward, but Peoples said that challenge is one he enjoys.
“Nobody is gonna force you to go to the gym and no one is going to force you to eat the right meals,” Peoples said.
Although powerlifting is something Peoples loved, his toughest battle came during the summer.
“July was a rough time because I just could not break that 500 pound mark,” Peoples said. “And I remember I tried it for the fourth time, and the fourth time I went to my car and I cried. I cried so hard and it was like I was not progressing at all. So that was a really rough time.”
And even through the lack of progress, his determination led him to overcome 500 pounds.
“So I had to take like a week break and started taking better care of myself and sleeping more,” Peoples said. “And I found that to be the reason why I had been messing up, and then I just blasted through 500 pounds.”
Peoples said he plans to make a life out of powerlifting.
“I’m already very close to being qualified to become pro,” Peoples said. “That would be a dream come true, if I could make this a living. My dad would be really proud if I did that. I would like to show him that his years of teaching paid off really well.”
Although his parents weren’t completely supportive at first, his dad remained a constant source of encouragement.
“They didn’t believe this thing was real until I actually went out there and won state and national championships in the same year,” Peoples said. “But now everybody’s on board and are really, really proud of me.”
Peoples gave advice for anyone watching from the outside, unsure if they should try powerlifting.
“Everybody is nice,” Peoples said. “There is no hostile environment at all. I’ve met some of the nicest people ever at meets. I would recommend this to everyone.”
