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Byrin Wylie

@byrinw

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83kg IPF Powerlifter
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Powerlifting and Strength Coach
Evolve Strength SEC: 1910 102st NW
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In-Person, Online, and Competitive Coaching Services

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Today I turn 40, and what an adventure it has been.

It has taken me 13 years of devotion to the sport to get here. 13 years in trusting the process and enduring the journey. 13 years of incredible highs and heart-wrenching lows. This sport has truly put me through the test, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s shaped me as a person, brought me an incredible career that supports my family, and it has paved the direction of my life in such a positive way.

This year has marked one of the most fulfilling periods within my competitive journey that I can remember, breaking a 6 year squat plateau at Nationals and getting my name within the provincial record books, to competing at my first international competition last week at the Commonwealth Championships and somehow walking away with a performance worthy of a gold medal. To say that I feel like the journey was worth it feels like such an understatement. It still feels surreal to me that I was representing my country, my community, and myself as an athlete at that level. I didn’t go 9 / 9 or have the best performance of my life, but I honestly didn’t need to. The experience, the support from my community, and the privilege of being on that stage is what mattered the most. I truly can’t put into words the sentiment that I felt being there, nor the incredible outpouring of messages I received after my performance.

I may have been on that platform alone, but I was only able to do so by standing on the shoulders of the incredible team of people who supported me.

My wife, Stephanie: @steph_powerlifts
My Coach, John Garafano: @johng_rts
My Massage Therapist, Shannon Gun: @sgunns
My Chiro, Dr. Carter Campbell: @ca.campbell
My Physio Therapist, Dr. Nathan Dailey: @nathandailey

Thank you to the team of coaches who devoted so much of themselves to the Canadian athletes, and to the countless, amazing people at Evolve SEC and within the APU who continually inspire and encourage me to be my best, everyday.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

And we WILL go farther. Together. 💪🏻

(I also got drug tested for the first time!!! I FINALLY FEEL WORTHY 💛) taken in Holiday Inn Express Winnipeg Airport - Polo Park by @byrinw

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16 days ago

“I think this will just stand out to be just as the provincials to beat”

A meet is nothing without it’s directors, and they hardly ever get the recognition for the amount of elbow grease they put into the weekend

Huge shoutout to Sam, Carlie, Byrin and Ezeiel for throwing an incredible meet taken in Saville Community Sports Centre by @byrinw

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a year ago

I speak about my knee issues frequently, however I realize very few people actually know where they originated from. This is it.

I used to compete in the sport of footbag (aka hacky sack). What started as a pastime with friends in highschool quickly became an obsession. Being self driven and loving a challenge, I went head first into an underground sport that would change my life in so many ways.

At the pinnacle of my career, I had multiple world records (10 in total), had performed tricks no other player has performed before (to the best of my knowledge), and was performing some of the most technically demanding combos / links amongst all the top players. My playstyle was a balance of smooth transitions, aggressive play, and high trick diversity. I was bringing a package that was above and beyond the norm. In 2007, I competed at the World Championships in Orlando, Florida where I placed 3rd in the Sick 3, 12th in Shred 30 events, and made it to the semi-finals in the (unofficial) Circle Contest. I was also nominated to join an exclusive group consisting of a globally-recognized elite known for pushing the physical and competitive limits within the sport. The experience was surreal. I met both the pioneers who shaped the sport away from just circle kicking, and the new wave of talent that were doing tricks and concepts once thought impossible. It was (and continues to be) one of the biggest highlights of my life.

Unfortunately this was not without its cost. As early as my 18th birthday, youthful ignorance and neglect for my body was already showcasing itself: impact stress, shin splints, overuse injuries, joint issues, and muscle strains were common. In the first half of my career, they would generally be manageable, however by the end of 2008 it came to a boiling point. I could not maintain my health and the similar level of athleticism, and after 3 years of fighting I retired in 2011.

Two years later I signed up for my first powerlifting competition, and the rest is history. by @byrinw

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2 years ago

#TeamWylieStrength Western Canadian Championships Recap:

We had 4 athletes compete last weekend at Western Canadian Championships in Saskatoon last weekend!

Classic 3-Lift:

Matthew Fotty
2nd Place in 120kg Masters 1 Division
PRs on squats, bench, deadlift, and total
National Qualifier achieved

Jenelle Tizzard (@bodyworxrx )
4th Place in 69kg Masters 1 Division
Deadlift and Total PR
Forward momentum in bench press since her shoulder injury in 2024

Chelsea Mazur (@stronk.chels )
1st Place in 69kg Open Division
Squat PR
Selected for a drug test with only 1.5 years competing (I’m not jealous, you are 🥺)

Johanna York (@joyork96 )
3rd Place in +84kg Open Division
PRs on squats, bench, deadlift, and total
National Qualifier achieved

Thank you to Shantelle (@smszuch ), Mackenzie (@_mackenzieswan ), and Brian (@this.iron.brian ) for taking care of my athletes, and as always a HUGE thank you goes out to the meet directors, refs, volunteers, media team, and every single person who made this event such a blast. Despite competing recently, I still had some FOMO watching all the amazing people from Edmonton compete and kill it on the platform! What an amazing representation for the APU!! 💪🏻

The next #Teamwyliestrength appearance will be at Powersurge in November!! by @byrinw

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11 days ago

#TeamWylieStrength has 4 athletes competing at Western Canadian Championships this weekend!

Jenelle Tizzard (@bodyworxrx ) is stepping on the platform for her first Regional championship, checking off the box so we can bring her talents to the National stage in Nanaimo. Jenelle has been stringing together momentum from her last competition in March despite heavy externals, and we’re looking to keep that going to bring her strongest self on Friday!

Matthew Fotty is coming back to 3-lift after taking a year off. His incredible bench press yielded a Gold Medal at Bench-Only Nationals 2024, and 9th place at Bench-Only Worlds in 2025. It will be our weapon in securing what looks to be a huge 3-lift total PR!

Chelsea Mazur (@stronk.chels ) is back after a quick turn-around after her bronze medal performance at APU Provincials this year. Despite some hip issues causing a bit of disruption in training right afterwards, she’s done remarkably well managing the issue and her comeback has her training looking to be as sharp as ever!

Johanna York (@joyork96 ) steps on the platform for the 10th time in her career and is ready to go up against some of the strongest athletes that Western Canada has to offer!! Johanna’s dedication to her training amidst being a full-time nurse and mother of 3 has yielded a strong prep so far, and we have our eyes set on some big goals with this competition!

All of our athletes have been put through the test, and all of them are looking the strongest they’ve ever been! We’re ready to bring our best and represent the team and the APU at what is looking to be the most competitive Western’s yet!!

LET’S GO TEAM!!! 🔥🔥🔥 by @byrinw

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15 days ago

#TeamWylieStrength Commonwealth Championships Recap:

We had 4 athletes compete at the Commonwealth Championships in Winnipeg!

Classic Bench-Only:

Mike Wade (@mikewade6281 )
1st Place in 105kg Masters 2 Division

Debb Ellard (@ellarddeb )
1st Place in 69kg Masters 3 Division

Equipped Bench-Only:

Megg Turner (@smol.stronk )
1st Place in 63kg Open Division

Debb Ellard
1st Place in 69kg Masters 3 Divisions
All-Time PR and National Record with 87.5kg

Classic 3-Lift:

Debb Ellard
3rd Place in 69kg Masters 3 Division
Gold medal and New Commonwealth Record in Bench Press
Bronze Medal in Squat, Deadlift, and Total

Byrin Wylie
1st Place in 83kg Masters 1 Division
All-Time PR in Squat
Gold medal in Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Total

Thank you to the Team Canada Coaches for their spectacular game-day handling services, to all the people involved putting on the Championships with over 800 athletes in attendance, to Geno for lighting up the audience with his captivating MC’ing, to CSM (and team) for the amazing photos, and to all the refs, volunteers, vendors, and technical support staff who made this event so amazing for so many people from all around the world!

The next #Teamwyliestrength appearance will be at the Western Canadian Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan!! WOW WE BUSY! 😤 taken in Holiday Inn Express Winnipeg Airport - Polo Park by @byrinw

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22 days ago

#TeamWylieStrength has 4 athletes representing Canada at the Commonwealth Championships next week!

Mike Wade (@mikewade6281 ) is making his 3rd international presence within the M2 105kg Classic Bench-Only division. Nominated in 1st place, training has been showing promise to continue the momentum he had at this year’s provincial championships to secure yet another personal record while earning an international gold medal!

Megg Turner (@smol.stronk ) returns to the international stage for the 3rd time after a strong performance at Nationals earlier this year! Nominated 1st within the Open 63kg Equipped Bench-Only division, we’re set on holding that nominated spot so Megg can stand atop the podium and walk away with a gold medal!

Deb Ellard (@ellarddeb ), the team’s Masters 3 69kg powerhouse, is competing in Classic Bench-Only, Equipped Bench-Only, and Classic 3-Lift where she is nominated 1st, 1st, and 3rd (respectively). We’re looking to hit hard with Deb’s world-level bench press and add to her already extensive list of records!

Coach Man himself is nominated 1st within the M1 83kg Classic 3-Lift division at his international debut! Though he lacks the dominating bench press that his fellow teammates possess, will the power of bear paws fuel his mediocre squat and okey dokey deadlift enough to secure his nominated placement?! Only time will tell… taken in Winnipeg, Manitoba by @byrinw

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a month ago

#TeamWylieStrength Wylie Strength Open Recap:

We had 6 athletes step on the platform last Saturday here in Edmonton!

Aimee Langer (@aimasaurus )
1st Place in +84kg Open Division
Best Female Bench-Only Award
Both an All-Time and BO PR

Grace Labrecque (@gracespowerliftingjourney )
1st Place in 69kg Sub Junior Division
All-time PRs in Bench, Deadlift, and Total

Nicole Zuchotzki (@nickel.zed )
1st Place in 63kg Masters 1 Division
All-Time PRs in Bench
First competition and qualified for Westerns

Meranda Bos (@__meranda__mells__ )
1st Place in 69kg Masters 1 Division
All-Time PRs in Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Total
Qualified for Nationals

Krissy Shulte (@krissys.fit )
3rd Place in 76kg Open Division
All-Time PRs in Squat, Bench, and Deadlift

Justin Garcia (@justjn.kg )
1st Place in 66kg Open Division
All-Time PRs in Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Total

Thank you to everybody who made this event such an amazing experience: sponsors, volunteers, refs, and spectators. Thank you to all the handlers who were able to help look after my athletes, I greatly appreciate your ability to help out. Finally, thank you to Sam for being the best co-meet director I could ever ask for. ❤️

The next #Teamwyliestrength appearance will be at the Commonwealth Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba in September!! LET’S GO!! taken in Evolve Strength North by @byrinw

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a month ago

First day of Grade 1! by @byrinw

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a month ago

#TeamWylieStrength Sub Junior and Junior World Championships Recap:

We had one athlete represent the team and our country in Sun City, South Africa last Saturday. Initially nominated 10th, he improved his placement ending in 8th amongst a class of 28 lifters!

Carson Taylor (@carson.taylor.04 )
8th Place in 105kg Junior Division with 822.5kg
All-time PR in Squat, Deadlift, and Total
5th highest squat (tied with 2 other lifters)

I’ve said this before, but I feel that it bears repeating: I’m so blessed and grateful for having the privilege of working alongside such high level athletes. Carson is a gifted athlete with an incredible work ethic. He never complains about the tremendous amount of work required to attain this level of competitiveness, he is communicative, and internally driven. It gives me so much fulfillment helping Carson be able to step onto the World stage, which was our primary goal when we first started working together 3 years ago (and adding 150kg to his total).

Thank you to the Canadian Coaching team for all of your help. We are truly appreciative of your time and effort in helping our athletes!!

The next #Teamwyliestrength appearance will be at the Commonwealth Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba in September!! You won’t want to miss it! taken in Sun City, South Africa by @byrinw

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a month ago

10 Days until the Junior World Championships!

#TeamWylieStrength has 1 athlete representing Canada next Saturday!

Carson Taylor (@carson.taylor.04 ) is making his international debut in Sun City, South Africa. Nominated 10th overall within the 105kg Jr. division, Carson is within the prime flight of the biggest division of the championships!

I’m so proud of the dedication and focus Carson brings to his training, owning each training session and pacing himself for when it matters most. Not only does he uphold himself to the highest standard, he’s also one of the friendliest juggernaughts you’ll meet at the gym.

LET’S GO CARSON!!! by @byrinw

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2 months ago

We had a wonderful camping trip to Miquelon! @byrinw by @byrinw

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3 months ago