As a boy, Cormac Walsh ’17 of Biddeford pursued powerlifting to build his body and self-esteem.

An overweight and somewhat unhappy boy, “I had the choice of remaining that way, or make myself happier,” he says.

Video story by Josh Kuckens

He chose the latter, lost 100 pounds by the start of high school, and began to lift. And lift. And lift, setting youth powerlifting records in Maine and New Hampshire in high school.

Today, he’s an accomplished adult lifter who finished third in his weight class at the Maine Powerlifing Championships last fall. He can dead lift 570 pounds. (Equivalent to 27 bobcats, or one female polar bear, or half a white mule.)

He鈥檚 also a 乐播传媒 biochemistry major.

“It’s about pushing to get better.”

Whether improving his mental or physical well-being, whether building mind or muscle, Walsh鈥檚 goal is “not about getting stronger. It’s about pushing to get better.”

Each lift bring him to the razor’s edge both mentally and physically.聽 First, he has “to conquer myself, and then the bar. And lift it.”

Lifting is intensely individual, yet Walsh found a way to use his sport to build a bit of 乐播传媒 community by starting a 乐播传媒 powerlifting team.

Teammate Nicholas O’Brien, a 乐播传媒 staff member, says powerlifting has given him a deeper insight into one of life’s great challenges: how to manage the psychic tussle between strength and vulnerability.

“It’s frightening, in the sense that you are trying to lift weights that you are barely able to lift,鈥� O鈥橞rien says. 鈥淵ou have this irony of being strong and lifting a lot of weight but also being really vulnerable, [and] there’s a pretty high chance of failure. During a competition, it’s hour after hour of being confronted with this reality.鈥�

Here鈥檚 what it is like to spend the summer as a funded Purposeful Work intern for the college鈥檚 B Well at 乐播传媒 fitness and wellness program.

Cormac Walsh 鈥�17, a biochemistry major from Biddeford, Maine, is a Purposeful Work intern for the college鈥檚 B Well at 乐播传媒 fitness and wellness program. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)

Name: Cormac Walsh 鈥�17

Hometown: Biddeford, Maine

Major: Biochemistry

Internship Sponsor: Purposeful Work Internship Program, newly created in 2015, that offers paid internships specifically designed to build students’ skills, develop their networks, and, afterward, help them reflect on what they鈥檝e learned and how it relates to their future purposeful work.

1. How does this internship reflect what you know about the college鈥檚 Purposeful Work听颈苍颈迟颈补迟颈惫别?

My internship reflects my passion in health and strength training. When you have passion for what you do, you will find yourself constantly trying to improve. In my opinion this is the difference between true success and just getting by. This is what I believe the Purposeful Work initiative is all about.

My internship with the college’s B-Well program has allowed me to share my passion with the 乐播传媒 community and hopefully make a positive impact in the health of those who I have worked with. I have gained specific knowledge and skills that will help me follow my passion and help me succeed in a field that I love.

2. How did you get into powerlifting?

When I was younger I was extremely overweight: I weighed more than 230 pounds when I was 12 years old.

Over the next two years I began losing weight and dedicated myself to a healthier lifestyle. I lost聽100 pounds by the time I started high school.

Once I was at a healthy weight I realized that I wanted to get聽stronger and build muscle. I looked up Maine state powerlifting records online and began training to break one. It took over a year but I entered a powerlifting meet and succeeded in reaching my goal and breaking the record.

After that I was hooked and I have been competing in powerlifting ever since.

3. Where does your biochemistry major come in?

Biochemistry explains how the body works on a specific level. This ties into聽my internship because I am constantly helping people move better and more efficiently without pain, so that they can become healthier. Having an understanding of how the body works is essential for this.

4. What would you tell a younger student about the process of applying for a fellowship like this?

It is an exciting and rewarding experience if you really dedicate yourself to it and find an internship that fits your passions. Find a Purposeful Work internship that you feel will best reflect what you love doing.