JUPITER, Fla. — One year after his first powerlifting meet, NextEra Energy nuclear fleet employee Julius Fletcher broke two national powerlifting records at the United States Powerlifting Association’s 2025 National Powerlifting Championship in Las Vegas. 

During the meet in July, Julius set a new national squat record of 655.87 pounds and a new national bench press record of 485 pounds in the 35-39 age range category. That’s the equivalent of squatting two American black bears and bench pressing two refrigerators.  

Julius, a work week coordinator at the company’s Jupiter West office, placed first in bench press for both his age group and the all-ages division and received the Best Lifter Award in that category. He also placed first in the 35-39 “full power” division – which combines total weight from squat, bench press and deadlift – and received third overall for all ages. 

This month, Julius will turn 40 and kick off his training for the IPL World Championships, which will be held in Wolverhampton, England on Nov. 21. 

“The fact that I’m going to Worlds is a success story,” Julius said. “I have a passion for travel and fitness. Finding a way that marries the two of them has been the greatest feeling for me.” 

In early 2024, a coworker approached Julius in the gym and asked if he would consider powerlifting. A lifelong athlete who has played lacrosse, track and other sports, Julius was looking for a new hobby after suffering an injury in rugby and was already lifting weights. He was not immediately sold on the idea.  

It would take his coworker six months of nudging before Julius finally gave in. His first powerlifting meet was on July 7, 2024, in Ft. Pierce and he hasn’t looked back. “It opened my eyes and made me think that maybe competing was worthwhile,” Julius said. 

To prepare for his first international competition, Julius will spend the next three months in regimented training. His week will include up to six days of multiple workouts, with a focus on increasing weights over time, as well as incorporating resistance training.  

Julius says he will be more of a homebody while training – no more eating out or late nights with friends. He will be focused on what he puts into his body and getting at least seven hours of sleep every night to maintain his weight class. 

“People see the numbers, but they don’t see the work, the effort or the hours,” he said. 

The sacrifices may seem tough, but they are worthwhile. Julius’s dedication and work ethic are what has made him successful during his career at NextEra Energy. He spent 16 years working at St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant across maintenance, performance improvement, procedure writing and other roles. In his current role, he supports Seabrook Station’s online work management from the Jupiter West office. 

“A lot of the parallels tie back to continuous improvement,” Julius said. “In nuclear, my teammates and I collaborate on finding solutions. Sometimes you wonder, ‘how is this going to work?’ But if you don’t put a plan together, you’ll never know. That’s similar to powerlifting. You reflect back, think about the benefits and the lessons learned, and go from there.” 

Powerlifting has also been a way for Julius to honor his loved ones. At every competition, Julius wears a shirt with his late friend Agye’s name on the back. Agye passed away last year from heart failure at just 35 years old, and wearing the shirt has been a way for Julius to remember his friend. 

“Agye was a driving force in me getting into competitions,” Julius said. “He saw potential in what I could do before I knew. He was a larger-than-life personality and spoke positivity at every angle.” 

In addition, Julius is inspiring others through coaching his teammates and friends at the gym and serving as a reminder that age is just a number.  

“Many people, especially in my age range of 40-plus, think that they can’t get started in fitness,” Julius said. “That’s not true. Just getting started in powerlifting or any other sport is a super win. I hope people can see me and think ‘if he can do it, then I can do it.’”