BILLINGS At just 16 years old, West High School junior Halle Sawicki is making a name for herself in the world of powerlifting as a seven-time powerlifting world record holder. Starting the sport less than two years ago, Sawicki already has an impressive record. This year, she became the two-time junior world champion in the 16-17 age bracket and 100-kilogram weight class, lifting a 407-pound squat, 205-pound bench press, 474-pound deadlift, and a total overall weight of 1,086 pounds. All four weights were world records. She is the top in the world in all federations for her squat and deadlift in her age and weight class. When I tell people that I have world records, they're like, 'What?' but to me, it's like, I don't really know how to describe it because it doesn't really change me as a person. It's my sport, and I love to do it. Those are my goals," said Halle. She competes in raw full powerlifting, meaning squat, bench press, and deadlift combined without using supportive equipment, and competes in both bench press and deadlift individually. After starting in 2023 at the encouragement of a family friend, she quickly honed her skills, qualifying for the Powerlifting World Championships in Coventry, England, in just a few months. It was there she took the world by storm.When I went to Coventry, I won five first-place medals and one second-place medal," said Halle. "I set three world records in the 14 to 15 division."Since then, she has continued to dominate the global stage. In November, she competed in her second Powerlifting World Championships in Las Vegas where she set the additional four world records. In doing so, she took home first and second place in both junior and open categories, competing against seasoned athletes from around the world. It's only been a year and a half, and I've got to this point in my life," said Halle. "I feel like I've been doing this for my whole life. I definitely have so much more to learn, but that just comes with doing the sport."This time, Halle had the added advantage of a new coach, Team USA head coach Kyle Young. She has been working with him remotely via an app, with occasional in-person coaching at competitions. Young, based in Texas, has helped Halle refine her training and technique."He's very knowledgeable. Every question that I have, he answers. He's very open about everything. He's very honest," said Halle. Training six days a week at Yellowstone CrossFit, her biggest improvement was her deadlift she improved her overall weight max by nearly 40 pounds in only a few months, a rare feat for most lifters. It's been a whirlwind ride that we're still trying to just hold on," said her father Jeremy Sawicki. The sport is growing and hopefully she can be kind of a leader to help move the sport to the next level.Her success is not just a result of raw talent, but also due to the support of her family and coaches. Halles parents, Jeremy and Jessi, have been her biggest cheerleaders. Sporting "Sawicki Squad" shirts at every competition, they have been there for her each step of the way."She's very motivated, very committed to her training, to her coach, to the sport, so it makes it easier to follow her because she's passionate about it. We just have to wear the sweatshirts," said her mother Jessi. Halle's support network continues. Over 20 of her friends and family traveled to Las Vegas to cheer her on. Back home, her high school community has fully embraced her. "It was (my parents') idea to get the shirts, and it's spread. I had a bunch of my friends wearing it at school. I had a girl text me and she was like, 'The amount of people I saw wearing the shirts was crazy.' It was truly heartwarming," said Halle. It just makes you feel good that all these people, like, care a lot about you, and even if they're not there in person, they're still rooting for you.She has seen the support not only in the crowd but on the stage. Despite being an individual sport, the Sawickis said they were most surprised by the positive environment created by the other competitors. Our first competition I was shocked because there's all these people, all these athletes competing against each other and there's no negativity. They are all in the back cheering each other on. I'm like, I've never seen that. Then they become your family, too," said Jessi. Beyond her athletic achievements, Jeremy and Jessi are most proud of Halles personal growth throughout the emotional journey.Let's just say this time last year, the beard was not gray," joked Jeremy. "It's been an awesome ride, stressful during those nine-minute segments, but, you know, spending the time with her in the gym and watching her grow, not only as a lifter but as a kid." "She's dedicated. She's honest. She's loving. Her room doesn't look great, but what 16-year-old does? But I just admire her dedication, added Jessi. Despite the intense pressure of competition, Halle remains grounded, thanks in part to the unwavering support and guidance from her parents.Records are made to be broken, either by me or by someone else, so stay humble and kind and just keep moving up. Keep grinding, they remind her. Outside of the gym, Halle is still very much a teenager, balancing her athletic pursuits with her studies. An honors student, she also plays softball and enjoys reading in her downtime. She is still figuring out what her future holds beyond college, but one thing for certain is that her journey is far from over.Her story is still unfolding. No amount of weighteither on the bar or in expectationscan hold her down.I still can't honestly wrap my brain around it because all I've done is just lift more and more and more. I think if I was an outside presence looking in, I'd probably be like, 'Wow.' I still am like, 'Wow. How can I do this?'" said Halle. I still want to be around the powerlifting community because it's just so positive and happy. It's just awesome to see what other people can do and just learn about it because it's just fun."