Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Edward Taylor, a petroleum supply specialist assigned to the 8th Theater...... read more read more
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii - Powerlifting and the Army. These are two professions unto themselves – the latter is a profession of arms, while the other may use arms but of a different kind. Balancing both professions can be difficult; however, Staff Sgt. Edward Taylor found a way to make it work. Whether challenged by the Army or by the size of the weights, this Soldier illustrated that perseverance coupled with determination can glean top-place results.
Growing up, Taylor was always a talented athlete. In high school, he quickly garnered the attention of college scouts and was offered a football scholarship. Sadly lacking an ACT score, Taylor was required to complete the first year of college before being allowed to utilize his scholarship.
“I had to pay out of pocket my first semester,” said Taylor. “I did my first semester. I got bored and was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’”
In 2013, Taylor decided to switch his approach. He would enlist in the Army and use its Tuition Assistance Program to complete college. Taylor flew through basic training and earned his spot as a petroleum supply specialist. He would eventually find himself at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he developed a new passion – powerlifting.
“Everybody I’ve come across in the Army has always said that I was pretty strong,” said Taylor. “They always said I should do powerlifting. I was in Afghanistan, and I was like ‘Man, I don’t wanna - for what?’ and my buddy, Sgt. Mac, convinced me to start competing.”
During his deployment, Taylor competed in his first ever powerlifting competition.
“I competed against a major in the Navy. Dude was huge. Dude was probably 225 to 230 (pounds); he was strong,” said Taylor. “I started, and I was able to squat 585, while I was in my first competition over there, and dead lifted, I think, 605. My bench was like 300 and some change. So, everybody just always kept telling me, ‘you need to get into powerlifting.’”
When he returned to Kentucky, Taylor made his debut in his first official powerlifting competition. Although initially reluctant to compete, Taylor was encouraged by his coworkers who could see his potential.
“I actually won my first competition,” said Taylor. “I won, which was surprising … I wasn’t known, but I was first … That was super-fun, my first meet.”
Lifting a total of 1,543 pounds, Taylor saw that he could be more than the Soldier that he was. He could be a powerlifter as well.
Taylor dove headfirst into the powerlifting scene. During this time, he met his coach, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Roy Payne, an instructor pilot for Bravo Company, 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
“When I first met him (Taylor), I thought he was very strong, physically and mentally,” said Payne, now serving as a CH-47F Chinook instructor for the pilot course assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 223d Aviation Regiment, 110th Aviation Brigade, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel, Fort Novosel, Alabama. “I knew then that he could make a name for himself in the sport of powerlifting.”
By 2022, Taylor had participated in five powerlifting competitions, winning two of them and placing in the top five for another.
“His capabilities overshadow the majority (of competitors),” said Payne. “He is gifted with natural strength, and when you mix genetics and hard work, you can become unbeatable.”
Taylor would soon find that powerlifting while serving comes with an abundance of its own challenges, such as deployments and other missions, permanent changes of stations, field exercise, and the Army’s height and weight requirements. The latest challenging powerlifters’ general physique: large and heavy. Although, not necessarily a bad thing, it could lead to challenges with competing and meeting the Army’s professional standards.
“A normal workday consists of him (Taylor) and myself handling current operations within the Distribution Integration Branch, which can be a lot on its own,” said Sgt. 1st Class Megan Bradley, Taylor’s immediate supervisor and a petroleum distribution supervisor assigned to the 8th Theater Sustainment Command.
Even though Taylor initially joined as a petroleum supply specialist, his responsibilities evolved as he rose through the ranks. During his career, he transitioned from the unit’s motor pool – storing, accounting, issuing, and shipping bulk or packaged petroleum – to organizing daily tasking orders and synchronization meetings for the General’s staff.
“We receive and review DTO’s and orders and make sure that they are reaching the appropriate sections,” said Bradley. “We would set up conference rooms for the commanding general’s senior leader sustainment sync meetings, weekly IPRs (in-process reviews), Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Morrison’s sync, the G3/S3 sync, and review the entire SPO’s (Support Operations Directorate) situation report, which is handed to the commanding general.”
Taylor learned that balancing the military lifestyle with powerlifting, while being successful at both, would be a daunting task. To say anything less would be an understatement.
“Even though our schedules are so packed, he (Taylor) always seems to keep things balanced,” said Bradley. “He has demonstrated that he can achieve his personal goals outside of his military career.”
“Most people I compete against, they’re not in the Army,” said Taylor. “The guys that compete, their job is the gym … Their day job is nothing like this. It’s not an excuse, but I realize if these guys can only do this much as their job, that I can do better. I put in more effort. I get off at 1800-1900 (6-7 p.m.), and I don’t feel like working out … but I know these dudes work hard, so I can do it too.”
Powerlifting demands consistency, which can be difficult to find within a dynamic military lifestyle. From moving every few years to constant training in austere environments, succeeding in powerlifting as a Soldier can be very difficult.
“You can't really take long breaks off. You can take time off where you don't lift as much, but, in the field (it’s different),” said Taylor. “You would spend two weeks in the field, now you have to mentally get back in the gym, and it's almost like it resets you, and then you feel weak again.”
Despite adversity, Taylor still strives to lift heavy and beat the odds.
“To overcome this takes being deliberate with planning, finding places to work out, taking weights to the field,” said Payne. “Where there is a will, there is a way, and Ed (Taylor) always finds a way.”
After two years off, due to an injury to his lower back, Taylor stepped back into the fray. He started with a competition near his duty station of Fort Shafter, Hawaii. He competed in the USA Powerlifting Ukiyo Grand Prix, where he was awarded first place in his weight class and seventh place out of 97. This demonstration showed Taylor that he was still capable – more than capable, even.
Following his return to form, Taylor signed-up for another competition near his hometown of Dayton, Ohio.
“Before the competition, I injured my shoulder,” said Taylor. “I took the ACFT (Army Combat Fitness Test) the week before, and I messed up my shoulder. I still did good at the competition. I won, but I didn’t excel as much as I wanted to.”
Taylor won the 2024 Powerlifting America Buckeye Brawl II in Cincinnati on Oct. 19. He placed first in his weight class and first overall, beating 53 competitors despite his injury.
Taylor consistently excels in both professions, expertly succeeding in his tasks as a Soldier and passionately powerlifting during his time off. Every breath a sound of dedication to his crafts.
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2024 19:14 |
| Story ID: | 486014 |
| Location: | FORT SHAFTER, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | DAYTON, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Outweighing the odds, by SGT Nickson Schenk, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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