This past summer I took a two week family trip to Antigua and Barbuda, where my mom was born, for a reunion. I did not realize taking two weeks off training would affect me drastically. It has been such a struggle for me to get back to where I was before I left for my vacation. During my time off, I gorged on foods I usually avoid when I train….boy that was strike two! My diet consisted of...
2014 Fall Classic Champion
Maya Laylor wins the 2014 Fall Classic with a snatch of 82 kg and a Clean & Jerk of 105 kg.
Maya Laylor wins 2014 Ray Hamilton Classic in the 69kg Weight Class
My Dad
I am very grateful for my father and the hard work he has invested in me. I definitely would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for him. He was the one who got me into this sport and found me a great weightlifting coach in Scarborough. He is always on top of things, concerned for my well-being. For example he always asks how I feel before and after training, what I am eating and if I am getting...
Who I am today
Weightlifting played a significantly huge role of who I am today. I am a smart, confident and proud young black woman. Not too long ago I was a very shy and self-conscious person. I am still shy, but not as painfully as before I started weightlifting.
What keeps me going
On the days when I feel exhausted and hopeless, I think back to my experience at the World Junior Championships. To see all of those elite athletes near flawless lifting, training twice a day with high intensities even when their bodies are aching, reminds me of what I am aiming for. I think to myself that to be like them, I just need to keep on pushing, just keep on grinding and NEVER STOP!