As 18-year-old Rajjat Chauhan prepares to start his senior year at Kentlake High School, he is also getting ready to compete in the International Powerlifting League World Championships in November in Las Vegas.
Chauhan qualified for the World Championships winning the Junior Men 18-19 Single Ply 148-pound class at the U.S. Powerlifting Association National Championships in July at Las Vegas.
Chauhan, who has been training in powerlifting for six years and competing for the last three, said he was surprised to win at nationals.
“I didn’t know I was going to take first,” he said. “I didn’t know I would qualify for worlds.”
He set a national record in the squat and state records in all three lifts and the combined total with a 451.94 pound squat, a 209.44 pound bench press and a 440.92 pound dead lift totaling 1102.3 pounds.
His father, Hardeep Singh Chauhan, inspired him to begin lifting.
“My dad was a powerlifter back in India,” he said.
Rajjat Chauhan’s uncle was also a champion powerlifter in Australia.
“It just runs in the family,” he said. “That is what I wanted to do. Looking at all the trophies they have got me into it.”
Hardeep Chahan coaches Rajjat and as well as 16-year-old Avtar Singh, a Kentwood High student.
“I started going to the gym with him (Rajjat),” Singh said of his start in powerlifting, which he began competing in last year, although he has been training for several years.
Singh took first place in the Junior Men 16-17 Raw 198-pound division at the Washington State Spring Fling in February at Kennewick. He set state records in his division with a 363.76 pound squat, a 192.9 pound bench press and a 418.87 pound dead lift for a total of 975.54 pounds.
Chauhan also set state records at that competition in the Junior Men 16-17 Single Ply 132.2-pound division.
The two boys spend about three to four hours in the gym five days a week training. During the school year, time is limited so training sessions are two to three hours.
“It takes a lot of time,” Chauhan said.
Chauhan said he would like to win a world championship title in sub juniors, which will have to be accomplished before he is 21.
Singh also has his eyes set on taking a world title.
“The goal is always to go to worlds and place in worlds,” he said.
Chauhan said he plans to stay active in powerlifting.
“I want to stay in there before I get too busy with my life,” he said.
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