Gearing up for the Athabasca Cup weightlifting competition Oct. 19 is 17-year-old homegrown talent Jessica McKenna, an Edwin Parr Composite student.
McKenna will be one of 20 weightlifters from around the province competing. She joined the Athabasca Weightlifting Club in January. Since then, she has practised three times a week at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex, except for about six weeks of downtime in the summer.
In August, McKenna started practising four times a week.
She said it all starts with a good warm-up, in which she uses a broomstick to practise the correct posture.
While the club only has five members currently due to other sports drawing weightlifters away, McKenna, who will be competing in her first 75+ kilogram class, has been steadfast in her determination to succeed, which coach Michael Mountford says isn’t an overnight process, and McKenna recognizes.
“I keep in mind that I can do it. Even if I can’t do it today, I’ll be able to do in a month, or I’ll be able to do it in a week, and I have to keep packing on that strength,” said McKenna. “It’s OK if you don’t get the first try. Just keep trying; don’t give up.”
“We’ve known the last month she has the strength to do heavier weights, and she’s been working this month on the technique a lot more, and specific drills to encourage her to get down lower to squat underneath the weight,” said Mountford.
“Her legs are strong enough to lift a certain amount; it’s just a matter of half an inch … to make the difference between being underneath the bar, or not making it.”
Mountford, who has been coaching weightlifting throughout Alberta for more than 30 years, said McKenna has a lot of potential and the speed, strength and flexibility to go far.
McKenna had a weak knee when she started out due to a ligament and muscle strain after 13 years of dancing, but rigorous training has restored her strength and flexibility.
Weightlifting has also helped McKenna gain more confidence in herself.
“It showed me that even if I’m unsure about something — lifting a weight that weighs more than you do above your head, that’s really scary. But it shows you that even though it’s really scary, you can still overcome it, and it’s possible,” said McKenna.
She said it’s important to stay safe while weightlifting and to drop the weights if there is any doubt about the stability of the lift.
“We have built that strength up so that now she has more than enough leg strength to make the lifts that she’s currently handling,” said Mountford.
“Plus, you have to have that mental commitment to work through it, because a lot of people can join and train on weights, but we’re lifting heavy weights, and we train differently. We don’t just do a few curls 10 times; we’re taking a big weight,” said Mountford.
“For us, we want fast-twitch muscles, so we train like we’re running down a track as hard as we can for 100 yards, and taking three minutes and going back, and doing that routine again to develop those fast-twitch muscles.
“She’s persisted where others haven’t, and she’s adapted,” said Mountford. “We kind of laughed, because we had all of these young male lifters last year … but where are they now?”
The Athabasca Cup will be held at the Nancy Appleby Theatre Oct. 19. The first session will be at 11 a.m. and the second at 1:30 p.m. Admission is free.
