VILLE PLATTE — Before 2021, Sacred Heart didn’t have a girls’ powerlifting team.
That changed when Adeline Launey took a chance — one that would shape her into a trailblazer for the school and the sport.
“I was talking to my friends and joking about it, saying my mom wanted me to start a powerlifting team,” said Launey, now a senior. “I thought she was crazy. Everybody was like, ‘do it.’”
Since then, Launey has built a record-setting career. She’s a four-time state champion, two-time national champion, two-time All-American and a member of Team USA’s world squad.
Sacred Heart has already raised banners in her honor, and now, another one will hang in the Trojans’ basketball gym.
“Right now she is the GOAT (greatest of all time) at Sacred Heart,” said head coach Duane Urbina. “She’s the standard. She’s going to be the standard that every other female lifter here will be measured by.”
Launey, known for her humble approach, credits those around her.
“I don’t like taking credit for anything,” she said. “I just like to say that I worked hard and earned something for it.”
Part of Launey’s success has been fueled by a quiet tribute she carries each time she lifts — a black shoelace on her custom-made shoes that once belonged to her late cousin, Dylan Fontenot.
“My shoes are custom made,” she said. “The most important part is my black shoelace that aren’t mine. They belonged to my cousin Dylan Fontenot who passed away. He committed suicide.”
Fontenot’s memory continues to drive her.
“It reminds me that it’s not supposed to be easy,” Launey said. “It’s supposed to be a bit of a struggle, but keep going.”
Launey won’t continue powerlifting in college. Instead, she plans to attend McNeese State University and try out for the cheer squad.
Still, at Sacred Heart, her legacy is cemented.
“I couldn’t have done this without my team, coaches and all of the people that have supported me,” Launey said. “It definitely changed my life. That’s for sure.”
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