Ben Hahn, Emily Olson, and Cole Bartz to compete at Montana State Powerlifting Championships

Sure they hope to win but their goal is to inspire others. Be the best that you can be.

Ben Hahn and Emily Olson, two members of the Iron Horse Powerlifting Team based in Livingston, Montana, are inside the Railyard Fitness Center, where they train.

By: Jeff Schlapp

Wednesday morning, I was reminded of what an inspiration Ben Hahn truly is. I put him in the same category as Jeff Dickerson, Jacob Fisher, Shad Durgan, and Tom Gargrave.

The common thread each man has is that if you give them just one hour of your time and listen to them talk, they will inspire you to live a better life. Each in his own way, but I guarantee you will walk away with thoughts of living your life to the fullest.

Hahn went from a collegiate track career, during which he was an NCAA All-American, to being the national distributor for a tiny home builder in Billings and eventually appearing on the Tiny Homes Show on HGTV.

He began teaching and coaching at Park High in 2017. He was hired to teach physical education, track, and wrestling. He has also been involved in the community by coaching Blitzkrieg Wrestling and Little Guy Wrestling and supporting not-for-profit organizations.

Last year, he became the Dean of Students at Winans Elementary School, and oh, yeah, he won his first Power Lifting Competition, which he entered in Helena, for his age group.

Now he’s got his sights set on bringing home Gold at the Montana State Powerlifting Championships on May 3rd in Butte, Montana.

Along with Emily Olson (who is an inspiration in her own right), Cole Bartz, and a fourth team member, they are members of the Iron Horse Powerlifting Team based in Livingston.

“Ben doesn't live his life for himself, and that carries over to how he carries himself in the weight room,” Emily Olson told me. “If you talk with Ben, you'll hear about his wife and son right away. He's up early working hard so he can prioritize his family in the daytime, as well as have the strength and endurance to give more of himself to others, to lead by example to the many young lives he's touched, and to find his own limits so he can push them. All those things are inspiring.”

Emily Olson does a series of pull-ups as part of her morning routine, which typically starts at the Railyard Fitness Center in Livingston at 5:00 am.