Breaking a school record as a freshman is something I am proud of. I have been lifting since I was four years old, and I have put in the time and work to break records. Showing up to weekly practices and putting in the effort has really helped with advancing in the weights I am lifting. One important thing with weightlifting is having the right mindset. If you do not have the right mindset, you will go nowhere. One thing that has helped me to have a good mindset while lifting is listening to music. When I am listening to music everything that is bothering me or getting in my head goes away. When I listen to music it helps me have a blank mind, something I need when lifting.
Having a blank mind helps me because the environment gets to me so much, I pay attention to what everyone else is lifting and I fail my lifts. But when I put in my air pods, everything goes away. It’s me and the bar, so I listen to music right before lifting, and I get the weight up.
One person that has helped me is Jessica Kreizmen, a coach at CrossFit Big Guava. She has helped me get to where I am today, training me a couple times a week to make sure my form is correct. After we worked on my form, we started building with weights. Improving my form was a challenge, as it is so specific. Even the smallest things can make the biggest difference. I would not be as good as I am without her.
Lifting has not always been easy. A challenge I had to overcome was hurting my back three years ago. To help with my back injury, I stretched every day. I stretch before and after lifting so I won’t injure myself again. Although lifting has come with its challenges, there are still many parts about it that I enjoy. My favorite part of lifting is the environment, as it makes weightlifting fun. Lifting by yourself is boring, so lifting with others makes the experience better. Lifting with your friends and the people you meet helps you a lot with weightlifting because you have people cheering you on and encouraging you to lift weights.
The message I want to send to people who want to get into lifting is to not get discouraged. Do not get discouraged when you see other people lifting heavier weights than you. You will get to that level when you practice and learn how to perform those lifts. Because I kept going, I have broken records, and never gave up. It took time and effort to perform the lifts. When I show up to practice every day, I give it my best so I can lift heavier and break more records. Giving it your all every day helps you get better at lifting weights and getting a personal best or breaking records.
Lifting is a big part of my life, so I want to keep pursuing it. I want to lift all throughout high school and in college if I get the opportunity to. Lifting has been with me all my life and I do not want to get rid of it.
