Brandi Shanks

Best Lifter spotlight from the USPC Tennessee Open on January 15, 2022.
Top Female Raw...

Name, age & how long have you been Powerlifting?
Brandi Shanks and I am 33 years old.  I've been powerlifting around 2 years. 
 
Athletic background?  What you did before powerlifting?
As a teenager I played softball. I played in high-school and a short time in college.
 
Why Powerlifting?
I enjoy powerlifting bc I believe it can be transferred over into life lessons. For example sometimes in the gym you get beat down, but you keep pushing, sometimes you fail, but you get back up and just bc something is heavy or hard it doesn't mean you can't do it. 
 
Tell me something about your gym/team.
My gym is etowah barbell owned by Dustin and Brittany reed. 
 
Trying alone or training partner/coach, team?
My team is the walls of Jericho and my coach is josh rodda.
 
What's your favorite lift? Least favorite lift?
My favorite lift is the deadlift and my least is bench.
 
Biggest challenge in your training?
The biggest challenge I have in training is trusting the process.
 
Ideal training atmosphere?  Focused and dialed in or noisy and high energy?
 I prefer to train with loud music and motivated people, but I can also do my thing alone.
 
Biggest accomplishment in your powerlifting career?
Finally hitting a 400 lb deadlift.
 
Finally is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or give a shout out to (team, coach, spouse, sponsors)?
I would like to acknowledge and shoutout my grandfather Eddie pulley  who is no longer here, but taught me a lot of things that I apply to powerlifting and life in general. I also appreciate my coach josh rodda and my previous coach Dustin reed who have helped get me to this point. Shoutout to my wife Olivia who grinds with me, my gym family who helps and pushes me  and last but not least my family who are always in my corner. 
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