MEET LEE KEAFFER, WPI '14

By JJ Kowalski, VCU '12

What motivates a college student to get up at 7 a.m. every day to work out? It may not be the ideal schedule for most students, but one SigEp from WPI is sticking to the routine.

Lee Keaffer, WPI ’14, has been powerlifting since his sophomore year of high school, when his best friend got him interested in the sport.

“He talked me into trying it, and I stuck with it,” said Keaffer.

His friend passed away last year which continues to be the motivator for Keaffer to get up every morning to work out.

“It’s definitely been a big inspiration,” said Keaffer. “I got a tattoo for him.”

Keaffer’s tattoo, the Punisher’s skull with his friend’s initials underneath, is his only tattoo, a tribute to his best friend. His friend wore a t-shirt with the skull on it every time he lifted.

SigEp has also been a huge motivation for Keaffer, who finds inspiration and encouragement from his brothers to keep working hard.

“It’s given me another support group,” he said. “They always ask what’s going on, how I’m doing, what kind of stuff I’m doing. I don’t want to let any of them down or do badly.

“Joining SigEp has given me the motivation and discipline it takes to lose weight when you have to or be in the gym when you have to,” he added.

Though WPI does not have a powerlifting team, Keaffer competes in collegiate nationals and many other competitions. Keaffer also wrestled in high school and is going to Officer Candidate School for the Marine Corps this summer.

Keaffer excels not only at competitions, but in the classroom at WPI, where he majors in biology and is on the pre-medicine track.

“I have always wanted to be a doctor, and biology is the one thing I’m most interested in and has always been something I’ve excelled at,” he said.

Keaffer has won the Massachusetts New England High School Championship for his weight class as a junior and senior, Massachusetts Junior Meet and overall for any age group his freshman year of college, the Raw National Championship for age and weight in the summer of 2011, and set the Raw national deadlift record for his age and weight by lifting 545 pounds.

He relates his experience powerlifting to the brotherhood of SigEp, saying that it is one of the few sports that, even though it’s a competition, everyone wants to help each other and be friendly.
“It’s the same in SigEp. Everyone in SigEp wants to talk to you, even just random people I’ve met when wearing letters,” Keaffer said.

Keaffer works out at least four days a week, and usually lifts for two hours squatting, benching and dead-lifting, among other things.

“I’ve always been determined [because] it’s something I love and especially having my friend who passed and [he] loved powerlifting. Thinking about him keeps me going to the gym and trying to be the best.”

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