Breaking Barriers and Records: Jaden LeTellier to Represent GU and Team USA in Norway Powerlifting Championship
Published: May 12, 2025
Author: Liz Dowell
She picked up weights to look cool. Now, she’s lifting her way to Norway—representing Greenville University and Team USA on the global powerlifting stage.
One student from Greenville University will be going on an international trip to represent GU in the powerlifting circuit. This student never set out to become a powerlifter and never thought she would break records in Illinois.
By extension, she never thought she would be traveling out of Greenville, let alone the United States, to Norway to represent not only GU but also women and women of color.
When Jaden LeTellier walked into Greenville University’s gym for the first time, she didn’t imagine it would lead her halfway across the world. What began as a personal fitness outlet has transformed into a record-breaking powerlifting journey—and this May, Jaden will board a plane to Norway as part of Team USA.
Jaden, a junior at Greenville University majoring in audio engineering and minoring in business, never set out to become a competitive athlete.
“I never trained for strength,” she said. She joined the powerlifting team when it started last year. Before that, she was just working out to be healthy and because "it looked cool" to be able to lift weights.
“I was always focused on overall fitness, bodybuilding-style workouts. I didn’t even realize I had the potential to break records.”
That changed when her father, a professor of music at GU, encouraged her to join the university's new powerlifting team. "He told me I was strong, but I didn't believe it," Jaden said, laughing.
It was not long before her coach confirmed what her father suspected—Jaden had an extraordinary bench press. Within her first year on the team, she shattered the Illinois state bench press record and broke her national record.
Now, she’s preparing to take her strength overseas.
TRAVELING TO NORWAY
After winning first place at a national bench press meet, Jaden qualified for the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Bench Press Championships in Drammen, Norway. She'll leave on May 15 and compete on the 19th. "It still doesn't feel real," she said. "I'll probably sit on the plane before it hits me."
Her rapid rise in the sport is grounded in humility and faith. "I'm not doing this for ego," Jaden said. God gave me this strength, and I want to use it to glorify Him." Her family has echoed that philosophy, reminding her to lift for joy, not pressure.
Jaden's training regimen is intense but flexible. Her coach provides a weekly plan, which she adapts around classes and other commitments. "Some weeks, I'm doing two sessions a day—lower body in the morning, chest in the afternoon," she explained. I don't count calories. I just focus on staying within my weight class."
She's candid about the challenges, too. Powerlifting may have a lower injury rate than other sports, but Jaden has learned that even minor missteps can lead to setbacks. "My shoulder is temperamental," she joked. "Some days it's fine, and other days it pops like crazy,” she said.
Despite the physical strain, the mental hurdles are often more challenging. "Everything goes silent when I step on the platform," she said. "I remind myself: what’s the worst that could happen? Even if I fail a lift, I’ve already made it here. That alone is something to be proud of.”
PERSONAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Her journey hasn’t just been about physical growth—it’s shaped her as a person. As an only child, Jaden said she struggled with collaboration, but being part of a team at GU taught her how to connect and grow alongside others.
“This experience has helped me become more relational. I’ve learned how to be part of something bigger.”
Jaden will be the first Greenville University student to compete internationally in powerlifting—an accomplishment she doesn’t take lightly. As a woman of Asian heritage in a male-dominated sport, her presence on the world stage is groundbreaking and deeply personal.
“Growing up, I didn’t see myself represented in sports,” she said. “This feels like the fruit of years of effort finally paying off.”
WHEN IN NORWAY
And while the competition is front and center, Jaden’s not ruling out a little sightseeing—or a new tattoo. “I’m thinking of getting one on the back of my neck while I’m in Norway,” she said with a grin. “Something symbolic.”
After Norway, she isn’t sure what the future holds. Continued competition? Maybe. Coaching? Possibly.
For now, she’s focused on lifting with purpose. "It depends on where my body is at," she said. "But I know I want to keep moving forward, wherever that takes me."
As she prepares to represent both GU and Team USA on the world stage, Jaden LeTellier carries not just records and reps, but resilience, faith, and a story that continues to inspire.
