Sean Augustin’s voice beams with pride when he talks about Persephone White and Landon Smith.
He’s coached the two athletes from their respective debuts in Special Olympics competition. He experienced their early struggles along with them. And today, the two St. Charles Parish powerlifters each hold state records in their respective classes.
They’ve come a long way, Augustin said.
Smith recently made his debut – he’s entered competition just once so far. There, he became the 2025 USPA Power Royale Champion in the 308-pound class for the bench press. It was there he set the USPA Louisiana State record for the age 18-19, 308 pounds class with a 99-pound bench press.
“I’ll be honest, a couple of months into working with him, I wasn’t sure he was going to be able to do it,” said Augustin. “We kept trying though and eventually broke through and successfully benched 100 pounds in competition.”
Augustin said it’s been a joy to not only see Smith compete, but to see his mother able to watch him in competition.
“The best thing is for his mother to receive that gift of seeing him compete in a normal environment with everyone else and not be judged any differently. He was judged by the strictest rules and he succeeded,” Augustin said. “That, to me, is an even bigger win than the medal itself – the fact that he did it.”
While Smith’s story on the competitive front is just starting, White’s been at it for a bit longer, and she has the accolades to show for it.
White has set several state records, including the squat and deadlift records for the 18-19 year old, 114-pound class (148-pound squat, 203 pound deadlift, 418 total); the 18-19 year-old deadlift record in the 123-pound class (203 pounds); and the 20-23 year-old squat and deadlift records in the 123-pound class (squat – 172, deadlift – 203).
She has captured six first place finishes and a second place finish at competitions since her first win in 2023. Those wins include a state championship and two junior national championships. Three of those first place finishes have come in Battle Born meets of the United States Powerlifting Association, a large federation across the country.
White’s success led to more success – she earned the USPA Louisiana Female Athlete of the Year award.
“None of this was given,” Augustin said. “She is judged by the highest standards of powerlifting that you can be judged by.”
Augustin said when he first recruited White for powerlifting, some didn’t think she was suited for it. And at first, Augustin admits, it wasn’t easy for her.
“The first day she came to practice, we were doing squats. A standard bar is 45 pounds, and she couldn’t squat that. We dropped her down to a 15-pound bar, and she was struggling to squat a 15-pound bar,” Augustin said.
“A few years later – at a body weight of 116 pounds, she squats 172 pounds and breaks the state record.”
Deadlifting, however, was something White quickly took to. On her very first day, she was able to lift 65 pounds while only beginning to refine her form and technique.
“She just deadlifted 203 pounds for the state record,” said Augustin.
White refuses to be defeated. It’s a trait she’s always had, from her youngest days.
When White’s mother was in labor, she and her daughter suffered a severe complication – the umbilical cord prolapsed, depriving White of oxygen for an extended time.
“She was dead for 20 minutes before doctors were able to revive her,” Augustin said.
It’s what led to White’s disability today, but she’s never allowed it to stop her.
“And let me tell you, she’s competitive,” Augustin said. “She gets upset when she misses a lift … she’s one of my hardest working athletes.”
Augustin said her story has brought tears to his eyes on more than one occasion.
“I think she understands she’s winning something, but I don’t think she understands the magnitude of what she’s doing,” said Augustin. “Just like with Landon, it’s wonderful to see her mother see her do this. I feel like this child never had a sport or anything where she could call it her own and be really good at, and now here she is, winning national meets, winning awards. To be able to help somebody towards that, it’s one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever had.”
