Being an Olympic Weightlifter is not easy; trying to be successful at anything is never easy. I have never liked training. I have never liked the burning sensation of reps, having to push my body to its breaking point everyday, and going home exhausted, not having enough energy to even take a shower. I have never liked the soreness in my body the next morning following a particularly difficult training. I have never liked the hard work I have to put in to get the results I want. But, in my mind, I have no choice. I do this because I want to, because I love, crave and am addicted to success. It is a constant grind; having to wake up when every single muscle, ligament and bone in my body is telling me not to; taking the TTC transit to training, all the while motivating myself for another training session.
The toughest part of being an Olympic Weightlifter is getting through a sticking point. A sticking point is when an athlete is at a standstill in weights, where there are no personal best being made, pretty much stagnant. It is essentially a mental block, and I have to constantly remind myself that “I am a champion and this is what champions endure, this is just mental” and to “keep pushing through”. My dad/coach always tells me to “just work!” when I’m having a particularly tough session. Ultimately, the struggle is well worth it. It is worth it every time I step out onto the podium to collect a medal, and it will be even more worth it when I step out onto the ultimate podium, the Olympic podium to collect the ultimate medal!