Woman student pumps weights; researches diabetes

Posted 4:02PM on Tuesday 1st October 2002 ( 22 years ago )

AUGUSTA - Laryssa McCloud was stressed out from working on her doctorate one day in 1994. So she went to the gym and tried to lift a barbell. She was shocked at how hard it was. But she committed herself to working on it. Two years later she won the first of two World Natural Powerlifting Federation championships. McCloud now is a postdoctoral fellow at the Medical College of Georgia studying the early impact of diabetes on blood vessels in the lungs. She's also featured in the current issue of Muscle and Fitness Hers magazine. She says being successful at both requires a great deal of discipline. But the 34-year-old's first priority is in her research. She quit competing in 1998 to focus on her studies. She still holds the record in her division for the deadlift, having lifted 440 pounds. For the championships, she had the highest combined total in several different lifts. She now works in the Vascular Biology Center and has one of six integrative cardiovascular biology fellowships at the medical college.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/10/189464