Dumbbells, barbells, a variety of machines, loud music and the usual gym sights greet gym-goers at Heavy Metal Gym, but one cannot help but notice the bench press station surrounded by gym owner Eddie Steadman and high school volunteer Jessica Stringfellow on Tuesday evening.
Steadman is giving instructions and Stringfellow is spotting the bar as the duo helps three Special Olympics athletes get their reps on bench press in preparation for the Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida from June 5 to 12.
Powerlifters Devin McClard and Karly Pratchard, along with stand up paddleboarder Cody Calhoun, are no stranger to hard work in the gym.
"A lot of them have been competing for a long time," assistant coach Jennifer Lawhon said. "They start in school then it's something they can continue doing as an adult. We go to sports camps sometimes in the summer. We have different sports they compete in throughout the year. It's just not one time a year."
Calhoun even works on his paddleboarding craft on the water during the winter in a wet suit, and the group puts in multiple days in the gym a week.
"It's fun and hard," Calhoun said.
The trio recently competed in the Special Olympics state competition in Searcy where Calhoun also competed in powerlifting because paddleboarding was not an option in the state event.
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"State was just last weekend," Lawhon said. "That's where all the counties in Arkansas come together to compete at Searcy."
The organization Special Olympics Arkansas selects athletes from around the state to compete in the USA Games on the national level.
In normal times, Special Olympics Arkansas watches the performances of athletes at a sports camp.
"They just see the athletes at the different events and at sports camp," Lawhon said. "Which we haven't been able to have sports camp because of COVID the last few years. They just kind of had to pick and choose from watching them at their area events last year because they were picked last summer. So they've been training all year."
As part of that training, Team Arkansas gets together once a month in Conway to practice as a group across multiple different sports.
Special Olympics athletes can also compete in unified basketball, unified softball, basketball, bocce, bowling, swimming, unified soccer, track and field, tennis and golf.
Calhoun, McClard and Pratchard practice twice a week at Heavy Metal Gym, and Steadman dedicates part of his time to helping them get better.
"I think it's just pure fun," Steadman said. "It's one of the more simple things in life we can do that's super enjoyable and rewardable. We just enjoy giving back to society and helping. It's more for us than just for anybody because it's a feel-good thing. We're all here to help each other."
During the workouts in Heavy Metal Gym, the athletes smile, laugh and have a good time while trying to increase the amount of weight they can lift.
"That's what's rewarding is, to see the enjoyment come out of them," Steadman said. "It doesn't matter if they win or lose. When you go to the competition and just watch them, they're all cheering for one another."
Even with the chance to win medals, the friendships made as part of Team Arkansas stands out as one of the most important things for the athletes.
"Hanging out with friends and my cousins (is my favorite part)," McClard said.
The Heavy Metal Gym community supports the athletes, and some gym-goers told the group just how inspirational it was to see them.
The athletes also learned new lifts since starting at the gym.
"They had never squatted before," Lawhon said. "Squatting is new to powerlifting in Arkansas. (Steadman) has helped us with the squatting and then in the dead lift. I know Devin and Karly have improved so much in their weight on dead lift and bench."
Hot Springs and surrounding areas fall under the leadership of a Special Olympics area director who sets up different events.
Special Olympics athletes in the area recently competed in a powerlifting event and a track and field event at Lakeside.
Lawhon first got involved with the Special Olympics as a mom, but she soon transitioned to take on a bigger role within Special Olympics Arkansas.
"My son Devin is one of the athletes, and I started with him," she said. "I go to camps to get my coaching certificate so I can help him with the powerlifting or whatever sport he wants to do. Powerlifting is his favorite. ... I just started as a mom just kind of taking my son then I went to get my certification in coaching."
Calhoun and McClard both went to nationals in the past, but this will be the first time Pratchard competes on the national level.
"Just the experience (is what I look forward to)," Pratchard said. "It's my first time going to nationals so getting the experience of going to Disney and competing and meeting people from all over the United States and the Caribbean."
Lawhon described the national experience as unbelievable with all the states across the country competing in the same place.
"It's overwhelming," she said. "A good overwhelming. As a mom when we went to Seattle I was just -- all the emotions. Just seeing all the athletes and how hard they work. They're cheering each other on. Even though they're competing against each other they are still supporting each other and they make lifelong friends."
Lawhon emphasized what it means to her as both a mom and a coach that these Hot Springs athletes have been so successful in their athletic endeavors and just what it means for them to be going to the Special Olympics USA Games.
"We have athletes with different disabilities coming together," she said. "They just compete like everyone else.
"It's unbelievable. I mean I have no words. Their dedication and the heart that they have to get the medal and just like their motto is, 'Let me be brave in the attempt.' Let me win. If I cannot, let me be brave in the attempt."