by By Dan Ninham
Jenesis Fonder, 22, is a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Bullhead Clan. She is a recent graduate from Carleton College in Northfield, MN. She majored in Political Science and is pursuing a Masters of Tribal Administration and Governance from University of Minnesota – Duluth. She is from and lives in Minneapolis, MN.
“I’m a competitive powerlifter and have been powerlifting since 2012, before I started high school sports,” said Jenesis. “Did a few meets going into college and from freshmen year of college to now I’ve been all about powerlifting.”
“I went to USAPL (United States of America Powerlifting) Raw Nationals in 2018 and placed 10th in my category,” said Jenesis. “From there my best numbers in the 63kg weight class at official meets are a 292lb squat, 182lb bench, and a 352lb deadlift. Since that meet, I have moved up to the 67.5kg weight class in the USPA (United States Powerlifting Association) and have hit a 300lb squat, 205lb bench, and a 390lb deadlift in training.”
“I just competed on October 10th in Fargo in the North Dakota Open USPA (United States Powerlifting Association) meet,” said Jenesis. “I weighed in at 64.3kg (142 lbs), squatted 137.5kg (303.1lbs), benched 90kg (198.4lbs), and deadlifted 182.5kg (402.3lbs). I went 8/9 with my attempts, only missing my third bench attempt. I won first in my weight and age class and had a 37.5kg meet PR, meaning in total I lifted 37.5kg more than any other meet I’ve done. First time squatting over 300 and deadlifting over 400.”
“I will most likely do another powerlifting meet in early 2021,” added Jenesis.
Jenesis is an Anishinaabe ikwe, an Indian woman. She practices her cultural ways as she prepares for competition and when she competes.
“In Anishinaabe culture and tradition we have the Seven Grandfather teachings, being wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth,” said Jenesis. “I try to incorporate these teachings into the way I practice my sport as much as in the way I go through life.”
Wisdom: “I am always appreciative of learning about powerlifting from old timers, like my dad, older athletes at a meet, or older athletes at my gym,” said Jenesis. “They have more experience than I have and are able to see things I can’t see yet, whether that be with the way my form looks or the way I am approaching my training. I love learning about this sport and learning from the people who make this sport great.”
Love: “I find peace in this sport and in being pushed to not stay complacent but always better myself,” said Jenesis. “To lift more weight than you previously did, you have to be better, simple as that. It is that process that I love and find peace in. More than this, it helps me to know and love myself better and I have to be conscious of how I’m fueling my body, how much I’m sleeping, staying away from substances, etc.”
Respect: “I honor the athletes beside me, behind me, and in front of me,” said Jenesis. “Everything they are able to teach and share with me and this sport. I honor the weight on the bar, knowing it can hurt and move me, but moving it instead. Knowing the amount of work and dedication I put into this craft, I have also developed a deeper level of respect for myself, as well.”
Bravery: “Nothing is scarier than stepping out of the rack with a weight you’ve never had on your back before,” said Jenesis. “But I try to be brave enough to approach every weight the same, no matter if it’s an empty bar or 500 lbs, and to believe that I can move it. I actively work on being brave enough to even put myself in that position.”
Honesty: “This is one of the hardest things to be as a powerlifter: Honest,” said Jenesis. “Sometimes you have to understand that you are not strong enough for that specific weight that day, but that there will be a day when you are if you continue to lift honestly. Lifting honestly means being 100% locked in every set, setting yourself up for success when you aren’t even in the gym yet, pushing limits when you feel like you can, and falling back momentarily when you need to leave some gas in the tank for the next few weeks. You may not be strong enough now but one day you will be.”
Humility: “This comes in knowing that what I have done has been done before, and that I am only as strong as the information I share with those around me,” said Jenesis. “If I hit the highest numbers in the world but don’t share how I did it, or don’t offer to help someone else do the same, my accomplishments mean nothing. I am part of a process, and while I have my own process happening, I am also a part of someone else’s. There have been great lifters before me and, with all of our help, there will be great lifters after me.”
Truth: “Truth is to remember all of these things, every rep,” said Jenesis. “Every training session. Every meet day.”
“I don’t think I have any mentors, but I am always learning from those around me,” said Jenesis. “If I’m not learning for me, I’m learning so that I can help someone else out.”
“A person who has positively influenced me as an athlete is my friend, Gabi Dixon,” said Jenesis. “Gabi is a black rugby player from Portland, OR who won the 2020 New Zealand’s Strongest Woman when she was actually in New Zealand for rugby. Gabi dreams very big and accordingly, she acts on it. She is such a positive influence on everybody around her and like her accomplishments show she makes the best of every situation. Gabi is also extremely passionate about providing opportunities for black and indigenous girls to travel the world and learn strength sports.”
“I think Jenesis is amazing, and I really wanted to connect with her as a fellow BiPOC lifter,” said Gabi Dixson. “I had an idea for an organization and wanted to specifically connect with a female Native American strength athlete and she came up. Now we are building an organization together!”
“I admire her tenacity and see a lot of my younger self in her. She’s driven, down to earth, and hilarious. I’m lucky to know someone like her and I can’t wait to make more connections with her through the organization we are building,” added Gabi.
“Being any type of athlete requires great physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fortitude,” said Jenesis. “If you aren’t tending to these different areas of yourself, you are not fully committed to or invested in your future self.”
Physical: “I get at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night and go to sleep and wake up at the same time,” said Jenesis. “I know what food works well for my body and for performance, and I am picky about what I consume. Not because I am policing my body but because I’m trying to control what I can control.”
Emotional and Mental Training: “I enjoy reading about and practicing mental skills training,” said Jenesis. “This helps me be realistic about my goals, my performance, manage my stress and anxiety, and even recover better between training sessions. Dr. Christina Heilman is a great resource for athletes looking to up their mental skills game. You have to be able to see it before you can do it, as some might say. I also need emotional breaks from physical and mental training, and I enjoy taking hikes, watching movies and playing games with my family, and listening to podcasts. I tend to not take life so seriously, even when I’m in the gym.”
Spiritual: “Abiding by the Seven Teachings as best I can and praying in all situations, not just when life is hard or when life is easy,” said Jenesis. “I always keep perspective that I am small, but I can still make big changes. That helps keep me spiritually grounded.”
When asked to tell who Jenesis is, she said: “Jenesis is an Anishinaabe woman from Minneapolis, MN. Having played sports her whole life, following in the steps of her five siblings, she found a love for powerlifting after watching her dad compete since she was young. Beyond this, Jenesis is passionate about sharing strength sports and health and wellness with the indigenous community around her. She is currently a personal trainer and Community Health Worker and eventually would like to create her own resources for catering to Indigenous fitness and wellbeing, specifically.”
Photo Credit: Whitney Hanson Photography
