FLEMING ISLAND - Second place finishes at a recent Powerlifting American championship event held June 2-3 in Scottsdale, AZ, have catapulted Fleming Island’s strongest weightlifting couple to an invite to the North American Powerlifting Championships in August in the Grand Cayman

“We competed in the same nationals events last year and went to Panama and Canada,” said Michelle Carlascio, a masters 2 competitor, aged 52, who took second in Arizona at the 2023 Classic Masters Nationals with husband, Keith, 54 (55 Tues., June 20), who also finished second in the Masters 2 division. “This year, we are competing in the NAPF (North American Powerlifting Federation) and they will host the North American Powerlifting Championships in the Cayman Islands August 7-12.”

With their finishes, both Carlascios will be donning USA attire on their visits as representatives of the American team. Both qualified with second place finishes at the Jacksonville Open Championships in February.

One trip the Carlascios missed qualifying for was the World Powerlifting Championship to be held in Mongolia in October.

“We both could be reserves on the USA team that is going so if someone can’t go or someone gets hurt in our age group, we could get an invite,” said Carlascio. “Theoretically, we could both do well in Grand Cayman, but the national worlds team is based on the final national rankings,” said Keith Carlascio.

Michelle Carlascio, who was doing a dead lift workout while being interviewed for this article, is the stats and nuts and bolts end of the partnership with her computer generated workout from her Miami coach showing a graph of progressions. Keith, admittedly, is just the guy who lifts with her and gets to go on the trips.

“I’m not quite as serious as Michelle is, but I get my workouts in and we both eat healthy and share goals and such,” said Keith Carlascio, who was tinkering with a steering column of a 1980 Trans Am in the same garage as the family weightlifting domain right next to a For Sale Viper ($63,000, if interested). “I may come out from under the hood to spot her if she needs a spot, but she’s the serious one.”

Michelle Carlasio’s prowess, at 130 pounds, are the two legs-driven lifts of the competition; dead lift and back squat. Her bench press, at 110 pounds, is her work in progress and most in need of improvement for international rankings. Her backsquat was 170 pounds while her deadlift was 243 pounds.

“My bench at nationals was my best lift while my dead lift was 243 pounds,” said Carlascio. “My favorite is the dead lift with the back squat coming back strong after an injury last year. The bench is what it is.”

Carlascio cited her new coaching, under Miami-based Arian Khamesi (2018 USA Powerlifting Coach of the Year and a past Open Raw World and National champion), as a key to her strong return from injury and improved lift totals.

“He sends me three blocks of workouts and we video my technique and then he critiques it,” said Carlascio. “He likes to kill me in the workouts, but it is working.”

Carlascio said Khamesi’s athletes go through phases of strength, technique, taper and competition. Carlascio also gets advise from Bill Davis at Steel Mill Fitness in Fleming Island.

“It’s all targeted to be ready for competition dates,” said Carlascio. “I’m about 100 pounds total from winning my division while Keith was second by just 45 pounds. Coach Kharmeni is really pushing me.”

Carlascio is equally dedicated to her diet (Kodiak Waffles, though a favorite) being a critical part of improving.

“I lost about 15 pounds, lost body fat, but increased my work load,” said Carlascio, noting eight possible competitors in her division in the Cayman Islands. “The whole idea is to be stronger, but smaller.”

Keith Carlascio’s diet is a bit less stringent.

“I find it easier to stay fat and lift,” joked Keith, who has three division wins in 2022; one at the IPF 2022 World Masters Championships, and his second place in Arizona. “I’m just the guy on the plane with her as she competes seriously.”