Her life began with adversity. Natasha’s father was absent, and she was born to a drug-addicted mother who abandoned her in the hospital. She was raised by her grandmother, a woman with a sixth-grade education but extraordinary strength. Her grandmother’s unwavering faith, mental toughness, and ability to move through hardship with grace shaped Natasha’s foundation long before she ever discovered powerlifting.
Natasha Anderson is from Baltimore, Maryland, but considers Lake Charles, Louisiana home. When she thinks about family, she doesn’t define it by blood alone. She is surrounded by friends who became family, a deeply supportive husband who also serves as her coach, and a powerlifting team that feels like home.
As a child, Natasha faced learning disabilities and speech impediments, yet she pushed past every label placed on her. She went on to build a successful professional career and earned multiple degrees. Though she held an administrative role, she chose to remain in the classroom—guided by purpose rather than title—while pursuing powerlifting. Every decision, every sacrifice, became part of the foundation of Nat Anderson the Powerlifter.
In 2022, Natasha and her husband moved from Lake Charles to Victoria, Texas. There, she taught high school Biology and served as an Assistant Cheer Director. Seventy percent of her cheerleaders competed in equipped powerlifting, and through coaching and supporting them, Natasha developed an interest in the sport herself. Around the same time, she began CrossFit, gaining new skills and discovering her physical potential.
Life took an unexpected turn when Natasha suddenly lost vision in her right eye and partial vision in her left. She was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease known as NMOSD. In the midst of uncertainty, she made a promise to herself: if her vision returned, she would pursue powerlifting.
Her vision did return—but the journey was not without struggle. The medical treatments she endured, combined with improper lifting technique, resulted in an L4/L5 disc herniation. Shortly after, Natasha and her husband were required to move back to Lake Charles. What felt like the end of a dream was, in truth, a redirection.
That move led her to Dr. Freddie Hannie and the Lake Charles Powerlifting Team. More than a coach, Dr. Hannie became her chiropractor and rehabilitation specialist, rebuilding her body with intention and care. Together, they restored her strength, functionality, and confidence. What once appeared as a setback became alignment.
Today, Natasha Anderson continues her journey as a powerlifter, proving that strength extends far beyond sight. Her story is not defined by what she lost, but by what she built—through resilience, faith, and an unbreakable will to rise under the weight.
“Powerlifting has rewired my brain to truly put health first and live a simple life that’s in alignment. It taught me how to say no but to also show up and push through which has pour into my marriage, my classroom, and my growth in numbers in the last year.”
“Some of my favorite powerlifters are my Coach: Freddie Hannie he had to overcome the same injury as me so I trusted him with my rehab. Tamara Walcott: we both live in Baltimore, both are island girls and we connected at the start of my journey. She’s a beautiful soul. Also, Taylor Castille, Iva Liou, Zipporah Lighty, Sonita Muluh, Luseane Lafaele, and Natalie Laalaai”
