Rafael Escamilla, PhD, PT, CSCS, is not just an academic and a scientist, but also a skilled athlete. While he was in high school, he played baseball and football and ran track and wrestled. In high school he won the school’s outstanding athlete award and was most valuable and most inspirational in football, wrestling, and track. After he graduated, he went on to play baseball and football and ran track in college. In college he was a conference champion in football and track. He also was a competitive powerlifter for 15 years, and in 1993, he earned the title of World Powerlifting Champion. He earned that title along with National Powerlifting Champion again in 1994 and 1995. At 179-pound body weight, he squatted and deadlifted just under 650 pounds and bench press 400 pounds.