With Big Numbers, Big Lifts, and Big Wins!
This past Thursday, April 18th, 2013:
I head into my box for some Olympic lifting practice. I see on the board that today’s plan is to establish a one-rep max for the squat snatch and clean-and-jerk. I’ll be honest…I’m not looking forward to this. I love, just flat out LOVE this style of lifting, but I’m seriously new to it. I’ve been in and out of the CrossFit scene for a few years, and I’ve never had a real Olympic lifting coach to teach me proper technique. This is only my second week of class. I’m nervous as hell. I want to do really well but I know I’m not ready for big numbers. Oh well. What can I lose? Just move some weight, Steph.
Sheepishly, I’m doing my best to get as much weight over my head as I can. I do make some progress, but not near as much as I’d like. In the meantime, I keep looking over my shoulder. You see, there’s this super-buff, incredibly fit chick behind me, throwing around weight so heavy that she makes me nervous just watching. I try not to stare, but I can’t help but watch. How she squats so low with all that weight overhead is beyond me. I try to count in my head how much weight she has on her bar, but I don’t want to look like a creeper either. Then she walks to the board and starts writing down numbers. Over 130 pounds she’s tossing up at the moment and she makes it look effortless! I’ve got to meet this girl! She IS strong figure!
So after class I introduce myself. Actually, scratch that, I did it in the middle of class when I was procrastinating on my lifts. I remember because Trey was yelling me to get back to my bar. But I introduced myself to Ellie, and as we stretched our super sore shoulders, she talked about her upcoming lifting competition–this past Sunday. Fantastic! I thought. Another STRONG chick proving herself to the world. I couldn’t be happier.
And that, dear readers, is exactly what I’d like to bring to you: a super strong, FIRST place Olympic Lifting Champion: Ellie.
Isn’t she adorable?! Ellie competed in the RVA Strength Fest in Richmond, Virginia, where she placed first. She competed in Olympic lifting which is three attempts snatching,
and three attempts at the clean and jerk. 
She lifted a total of 103 kilos (230 pounds): a snatch at 43 (95 lbs) and clean and jerk at 60 kilos (135 lbs). She was only one kilo away from qualifying for University Nationals, but will have another chance to qualify in the spring.
“All I can really say is that hard work pays off. I had been working so hard for my first competition and I knew going into it, that regardless of what place I came in, there would be nothing but happiness and the satisfaction of a new experience I found my sport and I love it.”
I’m so glad that I met Ellie. She’s yet one more person I get to admire during my gym-time. While we were chatting back and forth on Facebook she asked me, “Don’t you love being strong?”
Oh Ellie. I would say you have no idea…but somehow…I think you do. 😉
Congrats Ellie on your win!
If you have questions for Ellie, please fire away in the comments section below!
