Young powerlifter's challenges, successes are subject of film

As a child, Naomi Kutin's herculean strength earned her the nickname Supergirl among her family and friends, and gave the typically shy girl an alter ego who exuded confidence and muscle.

This is the champion who set an international  powerlifting record at age 9 by squatting a jaw-dropping 214.9 pounds — nearly three times her body weight — and stole the title from a 44-year-old who had held it for close to a decade.

Such feats helped to catapult the Fair Lawn resident to celebrity status.

Naomi is now the focus of a documentary which offers an up-close view of the preteen growing up in a loving family while struggling to balance the obligations of her Orthodox Jewish tradition with her rigorous training schedule. All the while, she experiences the typical adolescent angst.

"Supergirl" will play at the Montclair Film Festival on Sunday and Monday.

The documentary follows the Kutin family for three years, beginning in 2013, as the then-11-year-old Naomi aims to set powerlifting records in her 97-pound weight class while preparing for her bat mitzvah.

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The film raises questions about how much parents should push their children to achieve and how much to let them to choose their own destiny. But it doesn't shy away from weightier topics: Naomi faces serious health issues, along with cyberbullying and criticism for choosing a sport considered unusual for young girls.

Naomi's mother, Neshama Kutin, who grew up as a Pentecostal Christian in Colorado and converted to Judaism as an adult, recalls her own unhappy childhood.

"I want Naomi to feel free to make her own choices," Neshama Kutin says about a luxury she lacked growing up.

Naomi said her powerlifting career was inspired largely by her father, Ed Kutin, who began competing as a student at MIT and holds national records in the deadlift. When Naomi was 8 and a karate-class standout, Ed Kutin encouraged her to to try lifting. She thought it would be fun to spend more time with her father, who regularly disappeared into the family's basement to work out with his weight equipment. So she joined him.

She advanced quickly in the sport, demonstrating surprising strength.

"Initially, we just thought it would be a fun way for the two of them to connect. We never dreamed she would compete," said Neshama.

Soon she was breaking records. In 2012, she was dubbed the world's strongest girl after she set the women's world record in the "raw squat," lifting a 215-pound barbell while crouching into a seated position. Her feat earned her newspaper headlines.

These days, her purple bedroom is overflowing with so many medals and trophies, it could be mistaken for a trophy store.  At this point, Naomi has lost count of her records. That's not her priority.

Danny Aguirre of Florida, a judge for the United States Powerlifting Association and a top powerlifter in the country, said Naomi's feats are extraordinary. "There are lifters who have been at this for years who have still not achieved the numbers she has," he said. "She lifted more than any other woman in her weight class in the world when she was only 9 years old."

Today, as a self-assured 15-year old in a more competitive weight class, Naomi is not focused on breaking records. She spends about 12 hours a week working out, a regimen she does for the pure joy of it, she said. Her father and younger brother regularly join her.

"If I can break a record I always think that's very cool, but it's not my goal going in. I try to do my best and if I happen to break a record that's great and otherwise that's OK," Naomi said.

"Supergirl" filmaker Jessie Auritt, who discovered Naomi in a 2013 newspaper article, said she was enchanted by the story of the young girl breaking barriers in a male-dominated sport. "She's an amazing role model for everyone in terms of achieving your goals," Auritt said.

She was also struck by the dramatic potential in the apparent conflict between powerlifting and Jewish tradition.

But Naomi said she doesn't find much of a conflict. She does not compete on the Jewish Sabbath or holidays, and tournament officials have been accommodating by allowing her to compete on Sundays, she said.

The dress code of professional powerlifters is vastly different from the modest attire of most Orthodox Jewish women. At Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls in Teaneck, a modern Orthodox school where Naomi is a sophomore, she typically wears demure skirts to her knees and conservative shirts. Her signature garb at powerlifting meets, on the other hand, consists of a brightly colored spandex singlet with tall mismatched socks.

But her double life hasn't presented any tension, observed Neshama, a holistic health coach. At her bat mitzvah, her rabbi praised Naomi for her superhuman strength. And Naomi's high school teachers and classmates have been supportive. Many of her friends attended the premiere of "Supergirl" last autumn.

Naomi is surprisingly unselfconscious about the film. "I wasn't as nearly embarrassed as I thought I would be," she said. "When they first started filming, I was 11 and in my own little world. I was surprised by the amount of times I cried. But overall, I thought the movie was really good."

Auritt's documentary is not just about a girl with a special gift: It's about family, relationships and forging one's own identity in the world.  "It's something everyone can relate to," the filmmaker said.

Some scenes are difficult to watch: The soft-spoken girl with the slight frame transforms as she heaves an oversized barbell. Her face turns red and her eyes, veins and muscles seem to bulge. She emits a fierce, animal-like grunt. Finally, she hoists the bar up in the air. Soft-hearted viewers may find themselves wishing Naomi would take up a hobby that's easier on the body, like swimming or chess.

But Naomi shows no signs of slowing down.

In March, Naomi competed in the USA Power Lifting Organization's high school nationals in Scranton, Pa. She squatted 297.6 pounds, bench pressed 121 pounds and deadlifted 347 pounds, which was the best raw lift among males and females in the junior division. Her total of 766 pounds for all three lifts set a new American teenage record.

In July, she will compete on the USA team in the North American International Regional Powerlifting Championships in Florida.

And her personal goal is to hit the 800 pound mark for a combined total for all three lifts. "It's a nice even number," she said.

Her long-range goals are less precise.

"Powerlifting is definitely a very important part of my life," she says. "I don't see myself quitting in a year or two.

"Whether or not I will always be competing, we will see. I always want to be lifting and getting stronger."

"Supergirl" is showing at Montclair's Clairidge Cinema at Sunday at 5:30 and Monday at 7 p.m.