Warning: The attached video to this story may be disturbing to some viewers.
BLOUNTSTOWN, Fla. (WMBB) — A Blountstown High School weightlifter went viral on social media after taking a life-threatening fall at the State Championship meets in February.
Blountstown girls weightlifter Layla Goins made her fourth appearance at the state as a sophomore and was confident it was the year to win her first state title.
“I was really excited because I had a great shot to win this year,” Goins said.
Goins needed to secure a 180-pound clean and jerk for a shot at first place, but it didn’t go as planned.
“She got it up,” Blountstown head girls weightlifting coach Michael Scott said. “She got a little off balance. And when you’re at that level, just any little minute thing. It’s got to be a perfect lift.”
“She had an accident,” Scott said. “A scary accident, time-stopping accident.”
After receiving medical attention and confirmation she was okay, Goins had two minutes left on the clock for another lift.
“She actually got the cleanup, lifted it,” Scott said. “She just could not get enough strength to finish that second time. But to go back in there and battle it into that was just amazing in her heart of a true champion.”
The experience can be summed up in one picture that Coach Scott promised he wouldn’t post.
“That bruise, that picture symbolizes that there’s is that nothing that’s going to keep her down,” Scott said. “The work that she puts in. There are not many athletes out there that are that dedicated and put in the hours and work that she does.”
But, that lift didn’t stay in Lakeland, making its way onto the popular social media platform, TikTok.
“That thing just blew up,” Scott said. “It went crazy. It was just amazing how interesting people are in that kind of stuff.”
The original video is up to two million likes, with the video posted by different accounts across all social media platforms.
“It gives me something to push myself even more and show what I’m capable of,” Goins said.
Even though Goins didn’t bring home a gold medal, she still walked away with a medal. After a strong performance on the bench, she placed third in the Traditional category and fourth in Olympic.
“This pushes me more because I’ve wanted to win for so many years now,” Goins said. “I’m tired of losing, and I know that I have to get it done this year.”
With two years left in her high school weightlifting career, she is ready to win a state title.
“What I want to do is win,” Goins said. “I’m really tired of losing.”
