Senior Timothy Garza’s teeth gritted as blood trickled from his nose, serving as a reminder of his failed lift. He had to ignore it. This moment was his redemption.
His legs wobbled as the 715 pound barbell weighed him down. “It’s lightweight.” Garza repeated. He’d do anything to move this weight. It was Garza’s last chance: chance to prove himself, his strength, to show that he belongs at state.
That determination carried senior Timothy Garza to 14th place of 41 lifters in the 242 lb weight class at the Texas High School Powerlifting Association state championship March 22.
“When I first got there, I just said ‘wow,’” Garza said. “Looking down at the floor I was just amazed at the amount of people, it was like a whole stadium. That’s what made me realize I actually made it.”
Lifting’s been a part of Garza’s life since childhood, whether that be watching his dad lift, or learning it from football programs. His attention was set on football, but once the season ended, a flame began to spark inside him, telling him he needs to be stronger. That’s when Garza found powerlifting.
“(Initially) I didn’t do too great, but at the end of freshman season, I noticed my strength had shot up a lot,” Garza said. “I noticed that I was stronger than pretty much every freshman on the team. That was when I realized I might have, like, a special skill,”
Garza’s dedicated every spring to powerlifting since then. Every drop of progress he saw, the more his motivation grew. That progress was halted however when Garza faced a meniscus tear during last year’s football season, leaving him in crutches.
“It was rough, I was more mad than anything that I wasn’t able to keep doing the stuff that I like to do, that I had to sit out for months working on an injury,” Garza said. “The first, like, two months. I couldn’t even walk but after that, I slowly gained my strength back and I finally could start doing anything.”
He could walk again two months later, but lifting was still off the table. Garza was projected to make state that year, sitting out crushed him. After a summer of rehab, he came back stronger than before, ready to redeem last year’s injury.
“I felt like I had something to prove,” Garza said. “I had to prove that I still had the ability to be great and that I still had the strength to compete. My motivation is just the love for my sport, and this year I wanted to be set in stone at Caney Creek, and place in state.”
Garza’s attention shifted to powerlifting after the football season. He ate 3,500 calories and 240 grams of protein daily all while his free time went toward lifting of which paid off when he immediately qualified for regionals with just his opening lifts at district. Advancing to state was Garza’s only option.
“He worked his tail off to battle back and make it to State his Senior year,” Athletic Director Kendall Hineman said. “It takes a lot of focus and effort to come back from his injury. He was at practice every day and did the workout with max effort. If you work hard you can obtain greatness and he showed that.”
Garza takes pride in being the only boy to advance to state in two years, but that confidence stumbled once he saw the amount of people there. That was short lived because when he stepped up to the rack, Garza knew he had to dominate.
“I just psyched myself up,” Garza said. “I just kept telling myself the weight was light and I would move it easily like it was not heavy at all. When I found out I placed 14th I was kind of mad because I knew I could have done better, at least eight or maybe even fifth.”
At state, Garza bench pressed 395 pounds, deadlifted 575 pounds, and squatted 675 pounds. He strived for a 715 pound squat but settled with 675 pounds after his first two attempts failed.
He argues the judges were to blame for the second.
“I had pretty much stood up all the way,” Garza said. “I got it up. And then my upper body wobbled. And then (the judges) panicked, and they racked it, and they gave me a red light, and I didn’t get it.”
Despite placing 14th Garza’s self imposed standards stay high and determination unsatisfied. He plans to join the football and powerlifting team as a walk-on at Sam Houston State University, using this year’s experience as motivation.
“No matter the circumstances or what happens to you, you just kind of keep pushing forward,” Garza said. “You may get an injury, and then you’re held back for a year, but if you’re able to bounce back, you should. Take the chance to prove yourself.”
