By Brad D. Bates
C & G Sports Writer

Most mothers of three are used to doing a little heavy lifting.

For Debbie Hudson, 47, of Lake Orion, though, carrying the load extends to competitive weightlifting and raising more than 140 pounds over her head.

“I always played tennis, and after the birth of my third child, I realized I wasn’t as fast as I wanted to be,” Hudson said. “I employed a personal trainer, and I was amazed by the speed and power that came with it.

“Knowing what (weight training) was doing to my body, which was a good thing, I was hooked.”

It was nine years ago that Hudson learned her first power clean — a lift in which a person pulls a barbell from the floor to their knees and then, with a more explosive movement, pulls it from their knees to their shoulders.

Those types of lifts, and the training of her coach and former Olympian Fred Lowe, have transformed Hudson, mentally and physically, into a world-class lifter.

And it’s a strength that still takes some by surprise when it comes in the form of a 115-pound mother.

“When I tell people that I’m a weightlifter, they usually say something like, ‘You don’t look like a body builder,’” Hudson said.

“Then I tell them exactly what I do, and their eyes kind of roll back in their head.”

A far cry from just getting in shape, weightlifting has led Hudson down a path that would see her compete for national and world titles. She’ll be in Argotsoli, Greece, competing in her third World Masters Sept. 27.

“At first, I would get nervous,” Hudson said of her early days competing. “I’ve read a lot of sports psychology books about getting over nerves.

“What really helped was, as you get better, you get more confident. Confidence is the biggest thing, because you have to believe you can do it if you’re going to do it.”

Confidence wasn’t the only thing Hudson gained from weight training with the CrossFit method — a school of training that, as defined on CrossFit.com, “delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general and inclusive.”

“I had always suffered from back pain and had scoliosis,” Hudson said. “All of a sudden, I didn’t have back pain or any numbness, and I felt younger than I did 20 years ago.”

Along with shaking off long-term physical ailments and feeling younger, Hudson has ventured into a new career through weightlifting.

A graduate of Oakland Community College, Hudson has become an American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer at the North Oakland Family YMCA in Auburn Hills and a USA Weightlifting certified club coach.

“I was so inspired that I decided to help others,” Hudson said. “I am so passionate about it. It’s about the way it makes me feel.”

It was a desire to share that feeling that led Hudson into personal training, where she offers specific insight to those breaking into weight training — particularly women.

“The major misconception is that you’re not going to look like a woman,” Hudson said of the myth that keeps many women away from weight training.

“Because women have estrogen, they’re going to have leaner, longer muscles and the ability to firm the whole body.

“You have to have an incredibly strong core to do this, too. Most people think of the arms and legs, but you need a really strong core to do these lifts.”

Those reasons play a large role in why, while still limited, female weightlifting has grown in recent years.

Highlighted by the four women — compared to two men — competing for Team USA Weightlifting in the 2008 Summer Olympics, Hudson has seen the sport grow, and she hopes it will continue to do so.

“Weightlifting is very big in Europe,” Hudson said. “There are so many different sports in the U. S. that it may be getting a little lost, but there is a renaissance going on.

“When I go to meets, there are more and more women getting involved, and there’s a lot of camaraderie.”

For anyone interested in taking in competitive weightlifting, there is developmental meet at 1 p.m. Aug. 24 at Lansing Catholic Central High School.

You can reach Sports Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1029.