Olympic Weightlifting and Me

"I do weightlifting."

That's my usual response to "What sport do you play?".

Well, it is a much easier response than the other sport that I play.

But then comes the almost inevitable "So you're keen to bulk up then?"

No. No I'm not. In fact, quite the opposite.

Weightlifters are ranked in weight classes, the less you weigh vs the more you can lift = success.

Sure, I'll probably end up with a big, muscled bum and thighs but I'd probably have the same if I still danced.

Then there's the assumption that I am a butch tomboy which then for some weird reason leads to "Are you a lesbian?"

Yes, I have been asked that. Several times, by people who know that I have been in a long term relationship with a guy. Not that I really get offended by people assuming I'm a lesbian, it's not offensive apart from the fact that people are stereotyping.

People also tend to assume that I must 'wear the pants' in my relationship and that my partner is 'whipped'. Which is another of society's notions that ticks me off a bit.

Sometimes I say that I do Olympic lifting but then people assume that I'm training for the Olympics. You just can't win.

So, what got me started lifting?
My cousin who is a few years older than me did it when she was in college (year 11-12) so when I went to the same school, I figured I would try it out.

I did it for a year but with the death of my coach the following summer, I couldn't really continue.

I resumed training in November last year and have continued whilst in Melbourne at Phoenix Weightlifting Club.

Why do I do it?

The feeling of doing something powerful yet technical with speed and precision. Not something you'd usually consider when you think of weightlifting.

I have played team sports before and while they are challenging, social and a lot of fun at times, ultimately they were bad for my self-esteem. To be shouted at every session or told that you weren't good enough or you needed to work harder to keep up with the team is very disheartening, especially if you're juggling sport with academia. The truth was, I couldn't keep up with the team because I didn't have the time to train.

Weightlifting on the other hand, it's individual. All about you and your own abilities and goals.

When I lift, I feel confident, strong and good about my own abilities. Sure, there are heaps of things I need to improve, but there are also things I am good at. It is a very personal sport.

I've also found that it has been very good for me in terms of my health. I am hypermobile; my joints are very stretch and flexible which means I need a lot more strength to keep them stable. I have misaligned my vertebrae and pelvis, nearly dislocated my knee and my shoulder and rolled my ankles multiple times. I also had flat feet because my arches would just collapse.

Since I started lifting and other strength training, many of these things stopped happening.

Now, this was only possible because I have worked with trainers and coaches who knew how to tailor my training regime to me needs.

Currently, lifting for me is an outlet for the stress of this year's studies. Year 2 is one of the most stressful, busy years in medical school. But the highlight of my schedule is definitely getting into the gym and seeing all the friendly faces of my fellow gym-buddies and my amazing coach.

One of the highlights of lifting this year I guess were firstly, getting my own personalised program. Now, I mean a program that a coach has written down and given to me because they trust in my abilities enough that I can go and train without having to be supervised the entire time.

The other thing is praise. When you do something wrong, you get constructive criticism which is fantastic because you can improve what you're doing. But when there is something you do right, it feels great!

What feels even better is when there are several coaches who notice the same thing independently. I have a very deep squat due to my flexibility and I have a natural ability for the jerk (which is balanced out by the amount that I suck at snatching).

The one other thing is the feeling that you have when you work with a weight you have never gone to before. And you do it right. It's exhilarating, you feel really, really good about yourself and it's a huge confidence boost. Recently I went all the way up to 60kg for my Clean pulls. I have never touched a weight that heavy in my life.

When I trained in year 11, I was terrified of 35kg (green 10kg plates) and it was a huge psychological block for me. These days the greens are my best friends :p

I love the buzz of the gym and the vibrance of its people. It's one of the best ways that different people can mingle yet focus on the same things and you all understand each other.

I love lifting. I do. And it doesn't matter what people think of me for it, I will always be passionate about it.