Heavy Dreams, Strong Shoulders: Meet Powerlifter Austin Ewing
At 29, Austin Ewing’s passion for powerlifting has driven him to pursue a 700+ pound deadlift and defend his gold in the upcoming 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
Like many guys, Austin Ewing started hitting the weight room in high school. But unlike many of his peers, Ewing stuck with it after his teenage years, honing his passion in body building, Crossfit, and eventually, powerlifting.
Now at 29, Austin’s warm-up deadlift is 585 pounds outside of the competitive powerlifting season, and he has his heart set on breaking 700 pounds by the time the Special Olympics USA Games come to Minnesota in 2026.
“I just love how heavy the weight is, how it feels on my body,” Austin said. “It feels amazing. I’m so passionate about powerlifting, I just love it.”
Austin has competed with Special Olympics Minnesota for about a decade. He took home 4 gold medals in powerlifting at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Florida, and is getting prepped for the 2024-2025 powerlifting season. He lives more than 2 hours from the Twin Cities, so he and his mom, Harmony Clark, are usually able to make it up to team practices once a month during the winter powerlifting season.
It’s always worth it, not only to be part of the team but also to share what he knows about their sport. As a lifter who trains himself via Youtube videos, Austin is on the grind year-round, and ready to help his teammates with his hard-earned knowledge.
“He loves coaching people,” Harmony said. “He does so much of the training during the week on his own, so really he likes to be part of the team and share his expertise.”
The powerlifting season for Special Olympics Minnesota runs from November to March, and Austin is ready. Not only to lift hundreds of pounds of iron, but also to see all the competitors from around the state. Everyone gets along pretty well, he said, regardless of where they come from.
“They’re good guys,” Austin said.
His dream is to deadlift 901 pounds like his powerlifting hero, Ed Coan, on the stage. Harmony said she’s grateful that Special Olympics gave her son a place to thrive in his passions, and that Minnesota has been a supportive environment for him to grow.
If he’s lucky enough to make the team for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, Austin hopes to deadlift 700+ pounds on stage, representing his team and defending his gold. His mom encouraged spectators to join them in 2026 as they cheer on the athletes at the USA Games.
“Minnesota has such a special community,” Harmony said. “They’re so supportive, encouraging these athletes to shine their brightest when they’re on the stage. You see the athletes morph into super-humans, I get goosebumps just thinking about it. It’s pure joy!”
