Why you should sign up for the Beginner Olympic Weightlifting Meet
By Mike Grewe
When I first started doing CrossFit in 2017, I was completely new to almost every movement, especially Olympic weightlifting. I was not really involved in sports growing up, and had also struggled with my body image; as a result, my confidence in even being able to do these movements was very low. However, a colleague of mine had encouraged me to think about trying CrossFit out, and since I was at a point in my life where I was eager to try something new and challenging, I was up to the task.
Within several months, I found myself really enjoying to work out, which had really never been a thing for me. I felt a great sense of accomplishment in improving my technique, being able to achieve faster times, being able to lift heavier weights, and most importantly, do it in an incredibly supportive, body-positive community. I also found myself connecting with and appreciating my body in a way that I hadn’t before, where I was not obsessed with looking a “certain way” but instead grateful for what I was able to accomplish with it.
Last spring’s Olympic weightlifting meet at Solcana was my first-ever athletic meet. Although I was really nervous to participate, I decided to go for it because I felt so proud of what I had accomplished in the gym everyday. I didn’t think of it as a competition between other people but instead really thought of it as an opportunity to show myself what I was able to do. I definitely would not have been able to do this had it not been for all of the supportive coaches and classmates at Solcana who bring the best out of me everyday. At the meet, Coach K and Coach Ryan were incredibly positive, helpful, and ready to quell our nerves about anything over which we had anxiety. I would highly recommend that anyone, no matter what your previous level of experience in Olympic weightlifting, try it out!