I suppose, in end, being a powerlifter, like say a bb or footballer or any other competitive sport, means you are a competitor willing to put your feats and reputation to the test in front of your peers.
To me, that is what being a competitor is all about. In this sense, albeit I have only done one CAPO comp, but many weightlifting and athletics comps, I could describe myself as a powerlifter. Hopefully a few more comps in 2014 and 2015 will legitimise this possible self description.
The rest is just training. I am not that good a competitor, but don't like training for nothing, and want to reflect my ability, limited as it is now, in official comps.