WESTBOROUGH – In late June, Colorado welcomed hundreds of weightlifting groups from across the country – including one team based in Westborough – for the 2023 Weightlifting Youth National Championships.
Led by coaches Joe Black, Olivia Sassetti and Caroline Kent, the team consists of 17 participants (16 girls and one boy) between the ages of 12 and 18. The group sent nine qualifiers to the national stage in Colorado.
According to Black, the athletes were excited to compete. Some – especially those who had qualified for nationals in previous years – had their sights set on personal records, podium spots and qualifying for future competitions. Many of the team members had spent months and years preparing for the event.
“I think they’re excited. They’re looking really good. The whole point is to lift as much as you possibly can… and they’ve been handling heavy weights really well lately,” Black told the Community Advocate prior to the competition.
Although nobody in the group landed on the podium, many of the athletes had exciting and impressive achievements. The group had three top-five finishes (two fourth-place, one fifth-place), set 21 personal records, and several athletes qualified for future meets.
So, what does it take to be an outstanding weightlifter?
“Consistency, showing up, and doing the work – that usually leads to good things,” Black said. “Then, outside of the gym, that’s where you recover. If folks are eating, sleeping [and] trying not to stress out, that all plays a part… We’re trying to get stronger and we’re trying to make sure our technique helps us lift weight as efficiently as possible.”
Weightlifting is an individual sport – the athletes lift the weights on their own – but when combined with an incredibly familiar and supportive group of fellow competitors, the sport becomes an interesting mix between individual and team athletics.
“We have a team, but it’s an individual sport too,” Black said. “It’s you versus you. You can be competitive with it, but from a team aspect you have that support system.”
Ella Gamache, a 17-year-old member of the team who had competed nationally three times prior to Colorado, said she enjoys weightlifting because the sport is accessible to everyone.
“I never really got into any of the ‘traditional’ high school sports – but at this place, you can come in and everyone can start no matter where [they’re] at,” Gamache said. “It’s a sport where you can work for yourself.”
“Whatever you put into it, you get that out of it,” Black added. “You’re rewarded for your hard work. You can really see those results, and it leads to good things. I like [weightlifting] for the confidence that it helps folks build.”
Rylie Rohloff, another 17-year-old athlete who has now competed nationally four times, said she enjoys the team aspect of the sport the most.
“My favorite part of weightlifting is probably the entire team. It’s such a great space to just be able to lift. No matter whether you’re competing, not competing, having fun, or taking it seriously, the team is always there for you,” Rohloff said.
“While [the sport] is individual, it’s so hard to do it by yourself,” she said.
Gamache agreed.
“I’m really excited to see my teammates lift and to hang out with them,” she said before the competition.
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