Charla Wrenn is a very busy mom of a large brood of children.  She is a stay at home mother and has home educated all 8 of the kids over the last 25 years.  She graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor’s in Hospitality Administration in 1993.  She and one of her daughters started a Farmer’s Market stand in 2015 called Bird Bites Bakery and Gifts where they sell a number of well-loved family treats and home made gifts.  Charla enjoys putting together special events and has successfully raised money for her son and another lifter to attend lifting events.

Charla has been around sports most of her life through her dad and ran track her freshman year of high school.  She especially loves football, loudly cheering for the Western Illinois University Leathernecks and the Green Bay Packers.  She has been her children’s cheering section during their baseball and football seasons.

She became interested in lifting when her second oldest son, Johnathon, wanted to lift weights at the Salvation Army gym that his friend frequented.  He had played football for one season and wanted to get stronger for the following one as he is quite small in size and stature.  As she drove him and regularly just stayed at the facility, she decided to start using the machines and noticed that she felt better physically.  With the encouragement of her sons, she began using the free weights to bench press.  After watching the boys compete and taking John to the 2011 SE World event in Muskegon, Michigan, she decided she wanted to compete as well.  She has continued to train to compete and has trained through and around injuries, illnesses, and minor surgeries since August 2011.  She was blessed to be trained and encouraged by both Roger and Judy Gedney and was requested by Judy to take over her roll with the ADFPF in early 2012.

“Walking into the gym and seeing all that represents what Judy did for women lifters-her trophies, plaques, medals, and all of those precious photos-is truly an inspiration.  That I get to lift and train where she did is humbling.  I can only pray that as I compete that I can be a smidgeon of the inspiration she is and that I continue to encourage other women to be strong and healthy no matter their age or size.”