Abbeville Native Wins Bronze at National Powerlifting Competition

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

At the recent  USA Powerlifting Equipped Masters Powerlifting Championship, it sometimes felt like Abbeville native Xavian Jawaan Herod carried the weight of the world on his shoulders – that is if the world weighed around 800 pounds.

Herod, 22, took home the bronze medal from the national competition. He lifted 810.2 pounds in squats; 507 pounds in bench and 705.4 pounds in deadlift.

He’s no stranger to winning; however.

Herod started competing in powerlifting at Oxford High School when he was a sophomore at the suggestion of his older brother who was also a powerlifter.

“He would talk to me about doing it (lifting) and he’d say it was pretty cool, so I decided to try it,” Herod told Hotty Toddy News.

While at Oxford High, his team won two state high school championships and he took home one personal state championship.

He also played football for the Chargers.

His athletic ability earned him a scholarship to Blue Mountain College where he graduated in May with his bachelor’s degree in exercise science. He is currently still at Blue Mountain working on his master’s degree in exercise science.

While attending Blue Mountain, other than the bronze medal he won two weeks ago, he has won two gold medals

Herod trains three hours a day.

“It’s repetition and consistency,” Herod said. “Every day.”

Most of the time he eats two meals a day but sometimes needs to drop down to one meal a day to control his weight.

“And of course, you got to drink a lot of water,” he said.

Herod said he gives credit to God for his experiences and success.

“Sometimes things happen I can’t control but I try my best to fight through it,” Herod said. “You stay hungry for the goal.”

Herod said he plans to put his powerlifting bar back on the rack after this year and focus on his other favorite hobby – coaching.

He has been a student/volunteer football and weightlifting coach at OHS for the past three years.

“Ultimately, I’m trying to become the head coach there,” he said.

Herod’s mother, Rashelle Watson, admitted she worries about her son getting hurt.

“When we Facetime if I’m not there, he’ll sometimes turn the camera off because he doesn’t want me to see he broke a blood vessel in his eye,” Watson said.

While Watson said she’s proud of her son’s athletic accomplishments, his humble and generous nature is what makes her most proud.

“He told me, ‘Mama my main goal is to do well but I want my team to do well too,’” Watson said. “He’s always running around (during competitions) trying to help other people succeed as well.”