About Our
History
Mel Nichols, founder of Barbell Strength Weightlifting, has been participating in Olympic lifting for nine years.
Throughout her weightlifting journey she has competed on both a local and national level. When the gym where Mel originally trained closed down, her inspiration to open her own facility was ignited. She missed the community and seized the chance to build her own home for strength training. Mel trained a small group at another gym before steadily moving to bigger workout spaces. After continued growth, Mel took the opportunity to officially establish Barbell Strength Weightlifting in Lawrence, Kansas in October 2022. She now dedicates herself to creating a safe, fun gym environment for the community.