Breaking Barriers: Unleashing strength with Coach and athlete Amber Dawn (aka a.dawn.vicious)

Are you a fan of strong, inspirational women who dominate their industries? Well, let me introduce you to someone you're going to love - Amber Dawn. She's not only a professional athlete herself, but she surrounds herself with elite athletes who inspire her every day to thrive. She has some amazing athletes on her roster.

I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated to call her up for a chat, but boy was I wrong! Talking to Dawn was like catching up with an old friend - she's so down-to-earth and fun. I could have talked to her for hours! Lucky for you, I've got all the juicy details from our conversation right here. So, if you're nosy like me and want to learn from the amazing Amber Dawn Vicious, keep reading!

1. If you could have any superpower to help you in your powerlifting journey, what would it be and why? Probably the power to relieve all doubt within individuals. All too often we doubt and sabotage ourselves without even trying. To be able to take that doubt away and have people believe they’re capable would be a beautiful thing to give.

2. What is the most unusual or interesting item you have in your gym bag? I don’t have any unusual items, but I do keep all of my equipment in either its original packaging, or in bags to keep them organized. EX: My wrists wraps, straps and sleeves in their original zip bags. I’ve been told that’s weird lol, but I just like to keep things organized.

3. Do you have any pre-lifting rituals or superstitions that you follow before a competition? I’m pretty boring and don’t have either. Although, I suppose you could say making sure everything is really routine could be one? I just try to make sure I have everything in order.

4. What is your favorite pump-up song or music genre to listen to while training? For squats, I listen to something not too fast, but with a hefty beat. Typically metal. For bench, I need something slower like a good hip-hop track, or even something poppy and for deadlifts, pretty similar to squats, but with a little more double bass lol. Get that adrenaline up a bit. That being said, when I was practising sumo, I needed more calming music due to the high technical aspect of the lift. I couldn’t get too amped up. Since 2021, I’ve been using “Around The Fur” by Deftones for squats and “Bawitdaba” by Kid Rock for deadlifts. Bench, I don’t have a song.

5. What challenges have you faced as a female powerlifter and how have you overcome them? I’ve been very lucky that I have not had to deal with any big challenges, other than comparison and perhaps drug talk and scrutiny.. That being said, throughout my entire powerlifting career, I’ve been incredibly supported by many people and also haven’t had to deal with any kind of trash talk online. As a female coach though; that’s where the struggle comes in. People not thinking you know what you’re talking about because you’re a woman. Being overshadowed by male coaches just because they’re “strong” and then of course not using the sex sells tactic to gain attention… I want to be known and remembered for my absolute passion for this sport and the people, as well as my strength, knowledge and for hopefully leaving a positive impact.

6.How do you balance your training regimen with other aspects of your life, such as work or family commitments? Well, as a single woman with no kids; balancing the family aspect isn’t something I have to worry about and I’m very lucky that - in a sense - I got to make powerlifting my career and I coach full time. While I work every day, I have learned to become much more efficient with my time coaching to allow for more free time for myself. This came with time and mentorship under better coaches because I worked ALL THE TIME for so long that I was putting myself in a position where I began to get anxious having to look at my phone.

7. What advice do you have for other women who are considering getting into powerlifting but may feel unsure or intimidated? It’s going to sound silly, but you just have to jump in with both feet… Do it scared. If you’re someone just looking to get into training like a powerlifter, find a local powerlifting gym, reach out to other women online (I can promise you that no one will turn you down and make you feel poorly!).. ASK QUESTIONS. If you’re already training like one and are just afraid to compete, you’ll never be truly ready and you’ll never be “strong enough”. That’s a barrier we all set for ourselves. You literally just have to go in and do it because even at the highest level, lifters don’t always feel ready, but you get better at being a powerlifter by competing. No one is going to judge you, or laugh at you. The powerlifting community - especially the women - are so incredibly supportive. So… do it and do it scared, because guess what? We’re all a little scared sometimes.

8. How do you stay motivated and push through plateaus or setbacks in your powerlifting journey? Injury is by far the hardest to come back from mentally and emotionally. Pushing through a plateau - like with any kind of progress - just takes time and patience. For whatever reason, many people have a hard time with patience when it comes to working through an injury. How do I push through and stay motivated when these come up? Sheer grit and being bullheaded lol. I don’t have any quit in me and I will continue to work my ass off. Even if this means taking a step back to do something else. Understanding the whole “Do what you can” mantra will get you far instead of constantly trying to just push through pain. It’s OKAY to take a step back and many times it’s necessary. Taking that step back so you can take another forward will reap many rewards. Discipline also plays a large role. I have been doing this for nearly a decade and though I have doubts some days, I know that if I give up, I will NEVER achieve my goals. So…. would you rather not try? Or would you rather try and keep trying until you achieve what you set out to do? Life’s hard. Be harder.

9. Can you share a particularly memorable or defining moment in your powerlifting career? Two, actually. Both surround bombing out (You’re not a real powerlifter unless you do this, right? Lol Jokes) I bombed out of a meet in 2020. Squats. I had a fantastic prep and was feeling incredibly strong, but the judges determine how well you’re going to do in a meet (Practise how you play, folks and always have someone hold you accountable for your depth!).. I threw a fit and wanted to quit. I had a fellow lifter come and talk to me and I’ll never forget what she said. “It sucks. Shit happens… But, are you going to quit and not at least leave what you worked for on the platform regardless of a DQ or not? What message are you giving your clients if you just walk away?” I brushed myself off and I completed the meet. Embarrassed… But that moment taught me that even when we shit the bed, we gotta pick ourselves up and keep going. The next meet I did in 2021, I nearly bombed out and had to take my opener three times. It took my training partners to get me out of my head. Was I scared? Absolutely. I was so afraid of bombing out again that I nearly self sabotaged myself, but my friends and people I didn’t even know got in my ear, calmed me down and helped me do what I needed to do. I achieved my 1k total at this meet. These moments taught me to nut up. Things aren’t always going to go as planned, but we can always make the best of it and in the end, sometimes those moments can turn out pretty great if we let them.

10. You just recently moved but If you could train in any location in the world, where would it be and why? Elitefts. No question. There’s so much powerlifting history there and to get the opportunity to speak to Dave Tate and just pick his brain would be an opportunity that I could not pass up.

11. Outside of powerlifting, what are some other hobbies or activities that you enjoy? Hiking and being outdoors brings me a lot of joy and peace. I’ve not gone on a solid hike since 2018, however. When I lived back in Canada, but any activity that allows me to be outside, near water or in the trees/mountains will forever be my favorite thing to do outside of the gym.

12. What strategies do you use to help female powerlifters overcome common challenges they may face, such as self-doubt or societal pressures? Creating a safe space where they feel that they can come to you and be completely vulnerable. Not so much a strategy because it’s just the type of person I am - to allow individuals that space - but when you can make someone feel safe, they can grow. They can become confident because they begin to trust. Not just you, but themselves and that’s the biggest factor. Learning to trust oneself. If we can trust ourselves, we can trust what we’re capable of.