Shelbi Foerster juggles powerlifting, pageants at Weslaco High

WESLACO - Shelbi Foerster goes through the brutal summer training workouts just like the rest of her teammates.

She doesn't worry about breaking a nail, if her hair looks right or if any boys are glancing her way.

Instead, the incoming sophomore Weslaco High powerlifter focuses on the hard task of flipping a 300-pound tire with her partner Tanya Roldan 20 yards in one direction and back. By the end of each workout, Foerster is dripping in sweat and covered with grass.

The look wouldn't be complete without the black stains on her arms left by her tire flipping exercise.

Growing up with mud fights against an older brother and sister, Foerster doesn't mind the physical activity. But from blood and sweat to true beauty, Foerster also hasn't forgotten that she's very feminine as well and enjoys a world completely opposite from powerlifting - she loves to compete in beauty pageants.Foerster spent June on Cloud 9 when she was a winner of the 2009 Miss Junior Teen South Texas and set four world records while she participated in the American Powerlifting Association competition.

Leading up to the pageant, Foerster learned she broke records in the squat (270 pounds), bench (140), deadlift (245) and total weight (655) in her age (15) and weight class (132).

"She's gone from doing pageants to breaking world records in powerlifting that's been around for 30 years," Weslaco High powerlifting coach Raul Villarreal said. "I've never coached a girl who broke four world records at 15 years old."

Foerster said living in two different worlds often has her feeling like a queen and Wonder Woman at the same time.

"It's really good to have the best of both worlds," Foerster said. "I can be tough, but at the same time, I can be girly."

Foerster has participated in four pageants, winning three of them.

Foerster's pageant career began with a splash when she captured Jr. Miss Tip of Texas while in the sixth grade.

"It was very new to me, also very nervous, but I won it," said Foerster, who is also a cheerleader for Weslaco High.

With the kind of rough-housing that she enjoyed growing up combined with years of gymnastics, powerlifting was a natural fit for Foerster. Although she only entered the sport last summer, Foerster immediately learned powerlifting and pageants are opposites.

"I thought I was in shape, but it taught me that I wasn't in shape," Foerster said.

In comparison, powerlifting is more like an everyday job of hard training to maintain her conditioning, while pageants are usually once a year and focus on hairstyles, dresses and interviews.

"In powerlifting, you don't have to speak, you don't have to answer questions like in pageants," Foerster said.

Instead, Foerster let's the song "Speed" from the group Atari Teenage Riot do all the talking as she prepares for an intense powerlifting meet.

"You don't know what they're saying, but it pumps me up," Foerster said.

Villarreal's first impression of Foerster left him questioning her place in the sport. After watching her impose her will in the weight room and the determination she showed during training, Villarreal realized Foerster was physically and mentally fit for the sport.

"You would think girls that are in pageants would be protective with their face," Villarreal said. "She knows when to turn it on.

"She likes to get dirty and at the end of workouts, she's one of the dirtiest."

Foerster intends to continue her powerlifting and pageant path, including running for Miss Weslaco during her junior year.

Regardless of her amazing accomplishments, Foerster knows she's human as well and butterflies are part of both worlds.

"No matter how many times I participate in a pageant or powerlifting event, I'm going to be nervous," Foerster said.