Once a month on the weekends, members of the Asian Barbell Association take to the weightlifting floor of Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, bantering, catching up, and supporting each other in a space where they aren't usually represented.
The goal of the Asian Barbell Association is to bring together minority students in powerlifting and strength-training spaces, said Taylor Winterich, third-year cardiovascular technology student and club president.
Weightlifting was something Winterich said she enjoyed for the growth she saw, and wanted to join ABA to interact with people who understood her experiences in the gym. She said she didn't often see people who looked like her in fitness spaces, which can make working out more intimidating.
“There's not a lot of representation for Asians or a lot of Asian women in mainstream fitness social media, " Winterich said. “When we're going to a big SEC school where it's predominantly white … it makes us feel like we shouldn't belong there.”
Creating that sense of belonging has been incredibly rewarding, Winterich said. She said watching younger students learn to be more confident in the gym has been the best part of being president.
“Having people be comfortable enough to approach me or any of my other executive board members and say, 'Hey, I'm really interested. I've never really been into lifting, but I want to start,'” Winterich said. “I just like contributing to this very niche community, helping people gain experience and confidence so that they feel comfortable enough to take it on themselves.”
Coming from a background where there wasn’t a strong Asian presence, first-year international business and accounting student Daniel Lin wanted to find a community that he felt understood him. Finding that group has been integral to the college experience for Lin, and it allowed him to continue his weightlifting journey.
Lin said he enjoys the structure of lifting because he's done it for the sports he played in high school.
“Weightlifting is something I've been doing since the freshman year of high school, and I really wanted to continue it,” Lin said. “And I just wanted to be able to find a community that I can help out, but also have a community that supports me lifting-wise, making sure I'm hitting my goals and performing well in the gym.”
Lin believes having a group such as the Asian Barbell Association on campus is important because it represents a typically underrepresented minority, and helps students become better individuals by allowing them to discover the activities that USC has to offer.
"Organizations like ABA and the plethora of others that South Carolina has allowed people to just get out and explore, learn new things, continue old hobbies, and just overall, just become a better individual," Lin said. "Specifically, like getting into ABA, the Asian aspect, it helps bring representation to what I believe is an underrepresented community in South Carolina, even at the university itself is very underrepresented, so I believe it gives us a platform to express who we are."
Second-year exercise science student Amé Jourdan first started lifting during her freshman year of college, and felt anxious stepping into the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center alone, something that she said was a test of both mental and physical strength.
Having a community of like-minded people to grow stronger with is what drew Jourdan to the Asian Barbell Association.
“I got started in ABA because I wanted to be more involved within the Asian community," Jourdan said. "When I started lifting in the gym, I didn't necessarily have anyone to lift with, and so getting into a community kind of helped me stay disciplined as well.”
Jourdan said the Asian Barbell Association is a necessary community because it allows members to branch out and get involved in more organizations on campus.
"I think having that weightlifting organization targeted specifically for Asian awareness is really helpful for people who might not fit in anywhere else, per se,” Jourdan said. "Once you get involved in ABA, I feel like you make friends, and those friends will encourage you to come out to other places, join other clubs … I was really grateful to be able to be part of something that encouraged me to get out more and be more present in Asian communities.”
The group meets once a month at various gyms across Columbia. More information can be found on its Garnet Gate and Instagram pages.