Michelle Tomco, a sophomore studying marketing, has become a powerhouse in the USA Powerlifting community, with her most recent national powerlifting award at only 18 years old.

She holds 38 Utah state records and one powerlifting national award as of June 25, 2026.

"It's been a lot of fun," Tomco said. "Being here [in Idaho] kind of feels like second nature, intertwining religion, school and business. I love it, it's just a good place to grow your testimony, grow your skills, it's the perfect little habitat for people to grow."

Tomco started her powerlifting career in high school. She began lifting with her high school's football team her freshman year to become stronger.

"That year, the coach ended up taking me to my first meet. It was just a local meet, but I loved it," Tomco said.

Tomco continued to lift and play soccer until she started having medical issues in her sophomore year. Doctors urged her to quit soccer.

Tomco had previously broken her femur and torn her MCL playing soccer. Her doctors were concerned about further injuries if she continued the sport.

"My doctors kinda forced me to quit soccer, and from there, I sort of lost a piece of myself. Soccer was a big part of my life," Tomco said.

From there, Tomco began to lean more into powerlifting.

Tomco has been battling her chronic illness since eighth grade. She doesn't have a diagnosis, but she suffers from malabsorption and malnutritional complications, making her bones weak.

The high school state weightlifting competition in Tomco's sophomore year marked the beginning of Tomco getting her power back.

Tomco realized she was thriving in the sport.

"I won by a lot," Tomco said.

Tomco admits that it was a little nerve-racking to compete, as a contestant never truly knows what the other competitors are fully capable of. There are a lot of unknowns, but Tomco believes there is a lot of fun due to the uncertainty.

In 2024, Tomco joined USA High School Powerlifting and had her first meet that November.

"I won that. It qualified me for high school nationals, so last March I did high school nationals," Tomco said.

It was the first time Tomco did not win first place in a weightlifting competition.

"I got sixth place, but I was really happy," Tomco said.

Tomco never pictured herself making it this far in weightlifting.

"The competition gives me life. It's so fun, and I love the stress. It's just literally being able to prove myself. 'Cause I feel like a lot with chronic illness, it's taken a lot of freedom from me, and just restricted me in a lot of ways, especially with taking soccer from me," Tomco said.

A week after nationals, Tomco set 36 Utah state records in 2 weight classes.

"It was crazy, but shortly after, I had to take a 6-month break because I had five surgeries," Tomco said. One of the surgeries was an appendicostomy stoma.

Powerlifting has been helping Tomco thrive.

"It's building muscle and making me stronger," Tomco said.

In March 2026, Tomco won first in the Utah State Weightlifting Championships.

Early in June 2026, Tomco traveled to Chicago, Illinois, for the USA Powerlifting Nationals.

"The day we were flying out, there were tornado warnings," Tomco said.

Tomco and her family were praying as they drove to the airport for a safe flight. The tornado warnings eventually lifted, but the flight to Chicago kept getting delayed.

The flight's delay was a blessing for Tomco, as she forgot to pack some medical essentials for a medical procedure she does every night.

"Without it, I would have been miserable," Tomco said. Due to the delays, Tomco's brother was able to drive back to their home, grab her medical supplies and bring them back to her in time.

"The entire trip, there were tornado warnings, and the sky would turn green, and they were like, 'Okay, time to get in the basement,' where there were no windows. It was crazy," Tomco said.

The day that Tomco competed, the tornado warnings went away, and she was able to compete safely.

In late June of 2026, Tomco was invited to join the World Team for powerlifting.

Tomco declined.

"My body isn't able to handle that right now," Tomco said.

Tomco plans to compete in state and national competitions next year.

Powerlifting has given Tomco so many future opportunities, even with a hiatus.

"I know [powerlifting is] something I can go back to if I had to take a break," Tomco said.

Right now, Tomco is a service missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving on campus. She can be found working in the Campus Wellness Center.

In September of 2026, Tomco is going to Thailand to work at the Bangkok Thailand Temple.

Tomco highly recommends those interested in joining the powerlifting community to listen to their body.

"There are a lot of [setup adjustments] that can be accommodated to meet everyone's needs," Tomco said.

She highly recommends that those suffering from chronic illnesses and are interested in powerlifting build an understanding with online content creators, as many teach ways to work out while accommodating their needs.

"Powerlifting is my thing where I have as much freedom as I want, and that's how I can prove myself and prove my body still works," Tomco said.

Editor's Note: The article has been updated to correct the level of competition at which Tomco's award was earned. The article previously stated that the award was won at a regional competition and has been corrected to reflect that it was earned at a national competition.