AUBURNDALE, Fla. - It’s on the Auburndale High School sign as you enter the school. It’s on the gold medal around her neck.

There’s proof everywhere that Emily Hart is a state champion, even if she has a hard time believing it.
“It really didn’t hit me for like so long,” Hart said.

This senior weightlifter did more than win a state title. She broke a state record for total weight in the process. And she made history as the first girls weightlifter in Polk County to win a state championship.

“She’s very competitive,” Auburndale weightlifting coach Gilbert Jones said. “Some people believe you have to have a high level of natural athleticism and I would agree to that to a point, but honestly, it’s continuous work ethic.”

Emily’s work ethic is one of the many reasons she bested everyone else in the 119-pound weight classification.

“Five days a week for like two-ish hours every day and just worked our butts off,” Hart said. “You just have to keep pushing through because you’re like, I’m not going to lose because I didn’t do one rep or because I didn’t give it my all in training.”

That hard work paid off with a history-making state championship. But it is so much more than that for Emily. The journey has taught her a lot about herself.

“I know that I’ll do whatever it takes to be the best that I can for myself,” Hart said. “I’ve had lots of times where I’ve failed and gotten mad at myself. But I don’t care if I get first or second or whatever, I just want to be the best that I can be.”