Team USA Lifter Elle Bays Redefining Strength, Femininity in Record-Setting Career

Elle Bays, a senior at Pedro Menendez High School, in Florida, is the helping change the narrative for girls and women in weightlifting. While the sport is often viewed as masculine, Bays is proving that strength and femininity can coexist.

A Rising Star Changing the Narrative

Bays is ranked the No. 1 developmental weightlifter in the country and is a member of Team USA. She has competed internationally in Peru and Mexico and captured gold at the Youth Pan American Games with a 116-kilogram lift in the 77-kilogram division. In December, Bays broke the Florida snatch record on her first, second and third attempts. The back-to-back national champion continues to build a legacy most athletes spend years chasing, but Bays is just getting started.

Recently, Bays shared her story in an exclusive Q&A with High School On SI.

Q&A with Elle Bays

Myckena Guerrero: You’ve accomplished so much at a young age. Where did your journey began for you?

Elle Bays: My journey actually started with weightlifting being a side sport. I was set to go to college for cheerleading and began Olympic weightlifting just to get stronger for that. But everything changed when I found Jacksonville strength and met Chad Cahoy. He honestly changed my life. In the beginning it wasn’t about records or international competitions, but overtime Chad saw what I was capable of, and I began to see it too. I grew a passion and love for this sport, and that passion turned into something bigger than I ever expected. This was actually in my sophomore year in high school.

MG: You’ve already competed on the international stage at just 17 from Peru to Mexico, what has been the biggest moment so far where it really hit you, “I’m representing Team USA”?

EB: Competing at my first international competition in Peru at just 16 was surreal but the moment that really hit me was walking up onto the platform at worlds and hearing, “Elle Bays representing the United States.” That’s when everything for me kind of slowed for a second. It wasn’t just about me anymore. I was part of something bigger. All the intense training, the sacrifices, the missed time with friends so I could show up ready to train, it all became worth it in that moment. That’s a feeling I’ll never forget.

MG: Winning gold at the Youth Pan American Games with a 116kg lift is a huge accomplishment. What did that moment feel like, and what did it take mentally and physically to get there?

EB: Winning gold at the Youth Pan American games was one of the most meaningful moments of my career, not just because of the medal, but because of everything it took to get there. The past six months leading up to this competition, I had one of the most difficult training cycle of my life, and I honestly wondered if weightlifting was even the sport for me. I went through competition after competition of repeated missed lifts and I couldn’t understand why I was struggling the way I was. Going into Pan-ams my goal wasn’t even to win, it was to feel like myself again. My coach and I focused on rebuilding not just my strength, but who I was as an athlete. And I did just that. I’ve never been more proud of who I am, not just as an athlete, but as a person.

MG: You’ve faced unexpected challenges especially when the Junior World Championships in Egypt were cancelled how have you stayed focused and motivated through those changes and uncertainties?

EB: That was definitely tough. When something like that gets taken away, it can feel like all your hard work is just paused. But I’ve learned that progress and motivation don’t have to be tied to a competition. I’ve had to create my own focus by chasing the best version of myself, not just the next meet. At the end of the day, you can’t let setbacks define you, only the way you respond to them does.

MG: As the No. 1 ranked developmental lifter in the country with back-to-back national titles, what drives you to keep pushing, even when you’re already at the top?

EB: For me, it’s never been about staying at the top. It’s about discovering what my body is truly capable of. I know that I have not reached my full potential, and that pushes me every day. I’m also driven by all the young girls watching me, to show them what a strong woman is capable of means more to me than any title.

MG: When it’s all said and done, what type of legacy do you want to leave not just in weightlifting, but for the next generation of young athletes watching your journey?

EB: I want my legacy to be more than just medals or rankings. I want to change the way people see strength. Weightlifting is often seen as masculine, but I’m here to prove that you can be strong and feminine at the same time. I love pink, fashion, and anything that has to do with being girly. For the next generation, especially young women, I want them to know they don’t have to choose between being powerful and being themselves. You can be both. And that’s the message I want to leave behind.

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