A fitness journey that started with a gift membership has taken Tessa Rae Fullmer (22) farther than she ever imagined. In December 2016, Tessa received a 3-month membership to Club Julian as a Christmas present from her mom, Thelma Fullmer. In 2017, she embarked on her fitness journey at CJ with an intense focus on strength training, including individualized powerlifting instruction from Club Julian’s Trainer Jordan.
Throughout the year, Tessa made steady yet very impressive performance gains using knowledge and the proper techniques imparted to her under Jordan’s expert tutelage. And, as fate would have it, her newly developed strength and discipline would in fact serve her well as she prepared for the next phase of her life. In January 2018, Tessa enlisted in the United States Navy.
So, while her Club Julian training sessions obviously came to an end with her enlistment, Tessa’s drive and determination to achieve her powerlifting goals did not. While serving on active duty as a Damage Control Petty Officer 3rd Class – USS Carl Vinson, Tessa continued to pursue her passion for powerlifting.
Fast forward to Saturday January 25, 2020, when Tessa participated in a Navy powerlifting competition at the Bangor Naval Submarine Base near Seattle, WA. As a competitor, she successfully deadlifted 300 lbs. with ease. Even more impressive, Tessa received the top Wilks score (measures the strength of a powerlifter against other powerlifters despite the different weights of the lifters) for women and was designated as the overall Women’s Division Champion!
Congratulations to Tessa Rae Fullmer on your hard-earned achievements and thank you for your service to our country!