Florida Girls Lift First State Title After 4-Year Journey

Four years ago, a group of freshmen walked into the weight room at Braden River High School in Sarasota, Florida, with no idea they'd make history. Last week, that same team hoisted their school's first state championship trophy in girls weightlifting.

"Freshman year me wouldn't have thought that I have come this far, and that our team would come this far," says team member Ava Bennett. The moment still feels surreal to her and her teammates.

The victory tastes even sweeter because of the journey behind it. Head coach Jordan Borges started at Braden River around the same time as most of these athletes, building the program from the ground up alongside them.

"A lot of these girls persevered," Borges explains. "There were many years and lots of hours spent. A lot of failures to learn from too."

Those failures became lessons. The early morning training sessions became habits. And somewhere along the way, a group of nervous ninth graders transformed into state champions.

Why This Inspires

This story isn't just about lifting weights. It's about showing up day after day, even when the trophy seems impossibly far away. These young women proved that starting from zero doesn't mean you can't reach the top.

They stuck together through four years of growth, setbacks, and gradual improvement. Their coach grew with them, learning how to lead while they learned how to win. That shared commitment created something special.

The Lady Pirates now join Braden River's record books as pioneers. They're the first, but they've also laid a foundation for future teams to build on. Their weight room now holds more than equipment. It holds proof that persistence pays off.

Bennett and her teammates will celebrate their historic season in a live interview this week, reflecting on how far they've come since that first nervous practice freshman year. Sometimes the best victories are the ones you spend four years earning.