Powerlifter Tamara Walcott Has Lost More Than 140 Pounds Throughout Her Record-Breaking Journey

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Powerlifter Tamara Walcott made history in September 2021 when she broke the world record for the heaviest deadlift by a woman, lifting an astonishing 636 pounds. Earlier this year, the mother of two broke another historic record while competing at the Rogue Record Breakers exhibition in Columbus, Ohio. Walcott, a native of St. Croix, wowed crowdgoers when she muscled up the power to lift 641 pounds. 

With extensive training three to four days a week and a busy workout session, Walcott was able to lose more than 140 pounds, but weight loss isn’t the goal for the professional powerlifter.

“Even from the beginning when I started my journey, I never called it weight loss — I call it fat loss,” Walcott told PEOPLE for their Beyond the Scale feature. “I have pictures of me at 275 from two years ago that look nothing like what I look at 275 now. My body composition because of the muscle that I’ve put on looks so different.”

Growing up, Walcott said she was always bigger than the kids in her neighborhood but she was an athletic child, constantly playing volleyball, softball, and other sports throughout her upbringing in St. Croix.

“I have always been the heaviest — my siblings are toothpicks compared to me,” she explained, noting how her weight changed when she came to the states. “I didn’t blow up after having my daughter, but after I had my son it started to get really bad. I turned into a food addict.”

Tamara Walcott’s powerful story

Walcott stumbled into the world of deadlifting unexpectedly. After going through a challenging divorce, the athlete turned to food to cope with the difficult split. Walcott’s weight soared to a whopping 415 pounds. On the brink of jeopardizing her health from food addiction, the star knew she had to make a change. 

“I did not recognize who I was,” the 39-year-old said. “I actually stopped looking in the mirror for a very long time.” The Maryland-based property manager turned to weight training as a source of therapy. Walcott’s life changed when she lifted her first set of dumbbells in 2017.

“They were screaming, they were squatting, they were doing deadlifts. And I just fell in love,” the star recalled of her first time stepping foot in the gym. “I got a coach and decided that this is something that I wanted to do.”

In just three short years, the weightlifting champ dominated the world of powerlifting. She has since competed in seven competitions and has won six titles, in addition to her world record.

“Nothing or no one could have deterred me from my goal once I set my mind to it,” she said. “It was really empowering to take control of my life and do something that felt rewarding just for me.”

As she continues to train for competitions in the coming spring, Walcott said she hopes to be a role model for her children and live life “fearlessly” in pursuit of her goals.