**UPDATE 2/9/15:** Kiara Wood-Myrick placed first at the state meet in the 129-pound weight class.  She bench pressed 180 pounds.  Her best clean and jerk was also, 180 pounds.

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A single word to describe Kiara Wood-Myrick is strength.

"When you think about the weight, your body weight is so much lower than the weight you are lifting and you're just like, wow," said Wood-Myrick.

The 129-pound River Ridge senior weightlifter owns four conference records and seven school records.

"My last meet when I got 175 (pounds) for the first time, I started crying ‘cause I was so happy," said Wood-Myrick. "You want to get it so bad and when you do it's and relief and you're just overjoyed.”

"She does everything full go," said River Ridge girls weightlifting coach Mike DeGennaro. "If she's gonna do something she's gonna go 100 percent."

After finishing second at last year’s state meet, a gold medal is in her sights.

"It's everything I've worked for, for four years," said Wood-Myrick. "I never thought that I would be at this point because I've seen the girls before me and now to be one of those girls it's amazing."

"She's definitely in line for a top three finish, possible the state title," said DeGennaro.

Kiara is certainly putting in the time. Her dual enrollment at Pasco-Hernando State College allows her to work out around the clock.

"Most of my college courses are at night," said Wood-Myrick. "So, I have the whole day to work out."

With a 4.0 GPA, she has already been accepted to USF as a biomedical science major.

What specifically made you want to pursue a career in not only oncology, but pediatric oncology?

"My best friend in sixth grade, her brother got cancer and then going into seventh grade he passed away when he was two years old," said Wood-Myrick.

"I already wanted to study oncology, when that happened it made me really want to work with kids just so I could hopefully make a difference and stop that from happening. I don't know if I'll cure cancer but just to work with the kids and give them happy last few days if they don't have that many left."

Kiara has nine siblings and step-siblings total. Her 2-year old sister, Chloe encourages her career path the most.

"It helps me to remember it and just never take my little sister for granted because I know how traumatic that was for my friend," said Wood-Myrick. "I don't want to see any little babies like my sister get cancer or lose their lives. It really makes me want to keep doing it."

"She's always been great with kids," said Kiara's mom Kelly Cadle. "When that did happen she decided that was going to be something that she wanted to do. That actually happened when she was in seventh grade; so, for her to continue to push herself academically and physically. She definitely has goals and wants to achieve everything she can in life."

On top of athletics and academics, Kiara also squeezes in 21 hours of work on the weekends to help support her family.

"It's out if necessity and personal," said Wood-Myrick. "I like to provide for myself so my mom does have to do it since she has five daughters and she's a school teacher so she doesn't make a lot of money. I like to be able to get my own gas, and pay my own car payment and food when I am not home. I am hardly ever home because I am so busy. I don't like to bother her with those kind if stresses. I know it would be no problem, but just to be able to help myself and not have to worry her with it."

"I was raised by a single mom, so I kinda passed that down to my kids," said Cadle. "Things aren't given to you. You kinda have to pay your way and I think that how come she feels likes she needs to help me out."

"She tries her hardest," said Wood-Myrick. "She brings all my sisters. She's like 'come on guys we have to go to Kiara's meets.' She always finds time for me. So that's good ‘cause it means a lot that she's here.”