Corinne Cook showed up to the Oregon State Powerlifting Championships wearing a neck brace and an ankle boot.
She left with a division title and one of the meet's Lifter of the Meet awards.
Cook, a 52-year-old accountant from North Plains, placed first in the Masters 50-54 division's 100-kilogram weight class at the state meet in Sisters, the Hillsboro News Times reported. She finished with a combined total of 285 kilograms (628 pounds), squatting 102.5 kilograms, bench pressing 62.5 kilograms and deadlifting 120 kilograms.
The competition, organized by the United States Powerlifting Association (USPA), drew 42 lifters to Level 5 Barbell Club on Oct. 3, according to the Nugget News.
The injuries that nearly kept Cook away came from a horse fall. A longtime equestrian, she was thrown from her horse after an encounter with ground hornets and ended up in the emergency room.
"I messaged my coach and said, 'gosh, I hope I can still compete,'" Cook told the News Times.
Meet directors, who vote on the Lifter of the Meet designation, called her decision to compete "inspiring," according to the News Times. Cook was one of several honorees. The Nugget News reported that an 81-year-old Sisters lifter, Norm Berney, was separately named most inspirational lifter at the same meet.
Cook came to powerlifting four years ago after a series of knee injuries pushed her away from CrossFit, where she had competed previously. The sport has paid health dividends: Cook told the News Times she was supposed to have a second knee replacement but has avoided it so far through weight loss from staying active.
Her husband, Mike, competes in CrossFit nationally. Cook said both sports appeal to her because they reward patience and incremental progress, describing them as "about building blocks and … leveling up slowly, one bit at a time."
Cook has also competed on the national stage, where the atmosphere ratchets up. She described live YouTube broadcasts, commentators and cameras feet from her face. At one national event, she said, she jumped a command because the lights rattled her and received all red lights despite completing the lift.
She has no plans to slow down. The USPA state championships are scheduled to return to Sisters in October 2027, with a regional competition set for the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in April 2027.
