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Robin Eads, an Advanced Practice Nurse at Franciscan Health in Indianapolis, is integrating her personal passion for powerlifting with her professional life. With 32 years of experience at Franciscan, including 16 as an Advanced Practice Nurse, Eads encourages patients at the Franciscan Healthy Living Center to pursue health improvements.
Seeking to enhance her own health by building muscle and reducing fat, Eads found powerlifting met these goals. Recently, she competed in the Circle City Open, a Powerlifting United-sanctioned event, securing first place in her age and weight class. She also set state records for squat, bench press, and deadlift.
"The night before I weighed in, my daughter asked me if I was excited," said Eads. "I told her yes, but I was scared to fail. Then, I thought to myself, even if I missed all of my lifts, I would still have achieved something I had never done before."
Eads successfully lifted a total of 771 lbs and earned a DOTS score qualifying her for national competition in New Jersey this July. Her preparation involved four to five workouts per week since December and focused on protein intake, sleep quality, and hydration.
"Powerlifting is about goal setting then achieving those goals," Eads explained. "It is nice to be able to increase the weight on the bar. Each day that I go to the gym, I know I get to accomplish something and it improves my mood."
With a doctoral degree in nursing, Eads works primarily with cancer survivors or patients with chronic diseases at risk of recurrence or symptoms. She believes there are parallels between success in powerlifting and healthcare practice.
"At Franciscan we work a lot with process improvement to provide the best care to our patients," said Eads. "That is what I do with how I implement my practices with powerlifting."
Eads shares her powerlifting journey openly with patients; one even attended the Circle City Open for support.
"I hope to inspire or influence others to make positive changes to their health," she said. "Powerlifting is just one way to do it."
The Franciscan Healthy Living Center is located at 8111 South Emerson Ave., Suite 150 in Indianapolis.
