On Friday, March 27, Ganado’s Noah Ybarra stepped up to the squat platform at the State Powerlifting Meet with a chance to break the record in the 148 weight class.
With the bar bending at the ends, the Indian steadied himself and dropped low enough to make sure the lift would count, and then pushed with his legs until he held the record weight of 585 pounds.
Just making it to the state meet, or any meet for that matter, is something Ybarra wasn’t sure he would ever be able to do.
“On April 2, 2023, my son Noah’s life changed forever,” his mother Karla Ybarra said. “A horrific four-wheeler accident took away the sport he loved and the dreams he’d built around football. Watching him go through a six-month post-concussion syndrome was one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced as a mother. He was told he would never play football again, and at that moment, it felt like his world came crashing down… and all I could do was cry with him.”
A sharp turn on the four-wheeler caused it to flip, and Noah faced a long road back.
“The thought of that changing the course of my life never crossed my mind,” Noah explained. “I went to the ER and soon transferred to Texas Children’s Hospital.”
Noah had severe road rash, a lacerated kidney, a few fractured ribs, his collarbone, and suffered a concussion. Thank- fully, no surgery was needed.
With his football dream no longer an option, Noah looked for another outlet.
“Powerlifting was never my initial sport to do,” Noah explained. “I always hoped I would be able to play football again. I also tried baseball and basketball but those weren’t the right fit for me. What made me decide on powerlifting was my sister, Zoey, she pushed me to give it a try. She was actually pretty good at it, but her main sport was track.”
With Zoey pushing him, Noah talked to Ganado Powerlifting Coach Jason Chambless, who convinced Noah to give powerlifting a try.
“I loved it once I realized my strength was something special,” Noah continued. “I really started to focus on it and make powerlifting my main sport. I never thought such a simple thing like lifting could have come with so much joy and mystery. Powerlifting filled a hole in me I never thought would have been filled.”
“Noah didn’t let that moment define him,” Karla said. “He found a new path, a new purpose, and poured his heart into powerlifting.
The same determination that once fueled him on the football field became even stronger in the weight room.”
Noah no longer faces any major restrictions, but he still makes sure to take care of his body, and he continues to lift safely.
The sophomore found out he is very good at lifting, especially the squat. At the State Powerlifting Meet, Noah set a new record in squat for the 148 weight class.
“I tried to break (the record) on my second attempt because I wanted to lift 600 pounds, but unfortunately faced a few problems and had to make quick changes,” Noah explained.
Noah had already surpassed the state record of 560 at a couple of meets, but for it to go into the official record book, it had to also be done at the State meet.
“I broke this record unofficially four times before I actually did it at State,” he continued.
“This includes in practice, at the Ganado meet and at Regionals.”
When Ybarra finished the squats, he held the new record of 585 pounds.
“Getting third at State motivates me to work even harder,” Noah explained.
Ybarra still has two years to raise the record, and maybe bring home a State championship.
“I made a promise to family, to my friends, and supporters but most importantly to myself, that I will never fall short again. I plan to train year-round and come back stronger next year with the goal of winning state and setting new records.”
