EDITOR’S NOTE: This is Part One in a two-part series about Ocala Power Lifter Andre Palmer.

OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Andre Palmer found himself in a very dark place at a very young age. However, the intervention of a caring law enforcement officer and the inspiration of his father, helped to transform the diminutive child who was bullied in school into a world-class athlete.

“Being premature at birth and growing up a very small, fragile kid, you’re always susceptible to kids finding a reason to pick on you for being the youngest, the smallest, and I endured that all the way from when I can have a memory of preschool until my first year of high school,” said Palmer.

Life-changing incident 

Palmer was seven or eight when he discovered himself having suicidal thoughts, being vulnerable because of his small stature and being preyed upon by much larger kids.

But that was about to change.

“I was in elementary school, and I found myself running out the school’s gates not wanting to be on the campus anymore and not wanting to be alive anymore,” said Palmer. “Thank God for the deputy who was on scene that day, he grabbed me and didn’t let me run out. He called my dad, and my dad came and got me. He took me into the gym when we got home, and he put like a 45-pound bar over my chest, it plummeted right down to my chest. He said, ‘Son, I need you to push this weight or it will kill you like your bullies will.'”

That statement would serve as a catalyst, leading to the consistency and discipline that became part of Palmer’s daily routine as he met the challenge head-on. It was a life-altering experience. Initially, he couldn’t move the bar. But slowly, he began to make progress. The bar started to move, and eventually he would raise the bar to the top, exhausted. He would find himself in the gym every day–two reps, three reps, as his father mentored him on his journey, asking his son to work with him for a year, and he would see the results.

“I didn’t want to do it, but he was doing it for a greater purpose, and I’m so thankful that he did,” said Palmer. “It turned me into someone who is now able to change people’s lives, and I was saved by the concept of what it means to be strong. Being strong is a concept that is both internal and external, and I’m building my foundation into the future off of strength being the epitome of what it means to be DRE, what my business stands for. DRE means to be Disciplined, Relentless and Exceptional. It’s my name, and it’s three fundamental attributes that I built my entire life on up to this point.”

New environment yields big results 

When he was younger, Palmer thought the bullying would never stop, but the next part of his journey found him on the gridiron, getting into football later than he would’ve liked. He started to play during eighth grade for the Marion County Youth Football League Hurricanes. Palmer had lived in Miami, in a less-than-ideal environment, before his family relocated to Ocala. However, the move paid instant dividends as Palmer had built a great deal of strength, having worked out for more than five years. At age 14 he was able to bench press 315 pounds and had already earned the reputation as the strongest kid in Marion County.

His interscholastic exploits found him continuing to establish new standards, as Palmer set the record while at Lake Weir High School for the heaviest pause bench press in competition: 350 pounds, at age 16. However, there were still students who were trying to make Palmer’s life unpleasant as late as the ninth grade. Palmer’s character was resolute and his spirit unbreakable. He wore a smile on his face every day and maintained a positive attitude even during the most challenging situations. He wasn’t going to let anyone change who he was.

A fresh perspective

When he entered 10th grade Palmer began to see the world differently and was accepted by students in every peer group. His new outlook found him taking on new responsibilities and his positive mental approach began to open additional opportunities, as people began looking up to him and following him as he grew in his role as a leader.

“I stayed true to my internal beliefs and who I was, and people began to follow. I really took such a responsibility to that in the best way because, once I knew people were looking up to me in that manner, it felt so rewarding to come from a place where nobody wanted to sit next to you at lunch or in the classroom or be next to you,” said Palmer. “Nobody wanted to talk to me. Nobody wanted to be my friend.”

As Palmer’s confidence grew, he began to embrace all that life was beginning to offer, and the transformation was astonishing, often bringing him to an emotional state. The adversity he had overcome, from students told him he didn’t belong and shouldn’t be here, and teachers telling him he was going to be a statistic, to succeeding despite the odds had changed his life. Palmer thanks God and his parents for the milestones he’s been able to achieve.

“A blessing would be an understatement knowing that I’ve made it to this level and have evolved into the sports, the athletics and into the knowledge that I’ve come to be able to learn to change lives every day like I do,” said Palmer.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Read more about Palmer’s journey from bullying victim to world-class athlete in Part Two.