As we embrace the "New Year, New Goals" spirit, SKINS™ Compression is excited to share an empowering narrative from Leah Mamane, our remarkable ambassador, and a testament to setting and achieving ambitious goals. In her decade-long powerlifting journey, Leah exemplifies the resilience and dedication needed to continually strive for new heights. Her story offers invaluable insights into the perseverance and commitment required to turn each new year into a platform for achieving and setting fresh goals, all while being an integral part of the SKINS™ family.
By: Leah Mamane
My first competition as a powerlifter was in 2014. Having a background in gymnastics gave me a good base for strength but it was a sport that I was starting from scratch and knew nothing about. Now let’s fast forward 9 years; where I am still standing, shooting for the same goal I had in 2014. This year will mark my 10th year of competing in the sport of powerlifting, but also my 10th year that I've remained committed and never lost sight of my goal.
When I started powerlifting, I was amazed to see the female lifters who stood at the top. To see how they preserved mentally and physically, lifting such heavy weight with confidence, determination, and true passion. It took character to reach that top level.
Throughout the past nine years, I can honestly say, I’ve become one of those female lifters that I used to admire. A lifter who regardless of the odds stacked against her, never quits. I learned with every competition, applied it to the next and came back stronger every year. My dream has always been to experience the world stage, and this remains my goal today.
But let me tell you, it hasn’t always been a breeze of a journey. I’ve had competition mishaps and battled with mental fortitude in the face of personal adversity or that of people making me feel like my hard work wasn’t enough. I came close to stopping my sport and moving on to whatever life had next for me. I took three years off during COVID and used this time to self-reflect. I felt like there was a missing piece to the puzzle. So, I spent this time finding myself again, outside of being a “powerlifter.”
I love to lift. So that had never stopped during those 3 years, it was only the competitions. Little by little, things began to resurface and piece together. All I could think of was making it to the world platform. I realized that even though I didn’t participate in a competition for 3 years, my day-to-day habits sure looked like I was prepping for one. And SKINS were right there with me at every training.
My strength began to increase faster than ever, my confidence in my abilities was boosting and my body had never felt better. That’s when I knew it was time for a comeback.
The checklist that I've subconsciously developed over the years and consistently stuck to, is the reason that I was able to come back to the sport with more fire inside of me than ever before.
I learned that the one element that was missing and that I needed to find was #1 on the list:
- Purpose from within
- Positivity, passion, and perseverance
- Consistency
- Clean eating and proper hydration
- Sleep and recovery
These are the five elements that I believe need to be on your checklist if you want to truly accomplish your performance goals.
- Purpose from within.
Successfully reaching a goal requires you to dig deep into your WHY. But it’s not the WHY that involves anybody else but yourself. It’s deep rooted within. Take the time to find it. In finding that, your pursuit will no longer seem hard but rather bring growth at every stage closer to your goal. - Positivity, passion, and perseverance.
Hurdles are inevitable but it’s those who remain positive and never lose sight of their passion, that can persevere through all challenges. What truly keeps me going is having a positive mindset and outlook. I couldn’t emphasize this enough. Positive energy has a huge trickle effect to everything you do. - Consistency
Achieving goals requires consistency. It’s a must. Everything you do daily, big, or small, will add up and come to fruition in accomplishing the end goal. The consistency that I apply to every aspect of my performance is the reason that I have been able to excel and progress year after year. - Clean eating and proper hydration
When it comes to performance, nourishing and hydrating the body is key. What you put into your body is the fuel that it will use to perform. Therefore, always think about the quality of the ingredients in your diet. A healthy, nourished and properly hydrated body, equals better recovery, less chance of injury and increased energy output. - Sleep and recovery
For many this is probably one of the hardest things to achieve yet has the greatest impact once you focus on it. It’s where the body and mind reboots and recovers. When training picks up, I always make sure to wear my SKINS recovery tights and get a restful 8-9 hours of sleep. This allows me to lift heavy 5 days a week, have no plateaus or muscle soreness, and more importantly, to start my days with a sharp mind.
I believe that if you consistently check off these five elements, you are bound to get one step closer to achieving your goal. Ingraining them into my lifestyle is what has kept me going for all these years and it’s what has enabled me to come back for my 10th year, stronger than ever.
Click here to download a FREE performance goal journal, built in partnership with Leah Mamane and SKINS™ Compression.
