Ever look at an outstanding athlete and wonder how they got to be where they are? Well, we had the privilege of talking to some of the best young and upcoming Olympic weightlifters from Team USA after the North American Open Series 1, in Columbus, Ohio. Miranda Ulrey (20), Abbie Cooper (22), Katelyn Witte (20) and Sophie Shaft (20) are all fierce competitors and have distinct goals that are driving them to be the best at what they do. We learned more about how they define success in their sport, the challenges they face, and the goals they have moving forward in their careers.
Who Inspires These Inspirational Women?
Before these incredible women were role models, they had role models themselves. Even today, there are people in their lives that they look up to. For Ulrey, she always looked up to her brothers, “seeing how they excelled in their sports, built the foundation of how I wanted to be in my sport.”
Coaches can be mentors, as well as great role models for their athletes. The bond between an athlete and their coach can make or break a career. “My coach is the most influential person in my life and in the sport. He is one of my best friends,” Cooper says. Having a strong relationship with your coach can catapult us to unimaginable heights.
The Cost of Elite Competition
To compete at a high level, we have to make sacrifices. As a college student, Witte deals with this cost frequently. “A lot of training and avoiding things that a normal college student would do. You have to be conscious of what you're doing. Sticking to training schedules, which means not socializing as much, and also eating very clean to maintain weight. Not typical college kid stuff,” Witte says.
As an elite competitor, Cooper has to make tough decisions, too. “Every single time I make a decision, I make the choice that will get me closer to where I want to be. A month out from competitions you have to tell people ‘sorry I have a bedtime, sorry I can't eat that, sorry I can't go out,’” Cooper says.
These may seem like huge sacrifices to some, but it will pay off in the end. “When you want something bad enough, it's not really a sacrifice. I'm privileged enough to be in a position to be able to do these things, so I never really questioned it,” Cooper adds.
“A happy lifter makes a good lifter. You can be the most successful weightlifter or the most successful athlete, but if you're not happy I just feel like it's not worth it.”
Facing Challenges
Even the most elite athletes face unique challenges throughout their career. Whether those challenges are physical, emotional, or psychological, they can happen to anyone. “The most mentally challenging thing is taking each day with a grain of salt and pointing out more good things than bad things,” Ulrey says. “That will set you up better for success.”
“I try to remind myself why I am doing this. Trying to make sure that I am having fun with it,” Shaft adds. And even when challenges arise, handling the pressures of competing and performing is vital. “I thrive under pressure. I enjoy the pressure and I think it brings out the confidence in me that I lack in training,” Ulrey says. Witte has a similar mindset. “I try to have tunnel vision. Just focusing on what I can do,” she says. No matter what you are working towards, challenges will arise, but it's how we respond to those challenges that truly show our character and determination.
Defining Success in Sport
Success shouldn’t solely be defined by the medal around your neck at the end of a big competition. Every one of us can define our own definition for success. For Ulrey, being “a happy lifter makes a good lifter. You can be the most successful weightlifter or the most successful athlete, but if you're not happy I just feel like it's not worth it,” she adds. “Making lifts and getting totals, those are very objective things,” but “making sure that I gave it my all,” is what truly matters to Shaft. Finding our own way to gauge our personal success is key to having longevity and joy in our sport.
Acknowledging Big Goals
Setting clear goals can help us stay focused. For these incredible young women, they’re all striving to make the Senior International Weightlifting Team in the near future. But, there are always other goals that can float around in an athlete’s mind, too. These women all have distinct goals, like increasing their ranking so they can get funding, winning the Junior Worlds Championship this year, or chasing down their Olympic dreams in 2028. It’s inspiring to see all the pieces come together for these athletes, and get a glimpse into where they’re headed in the next few years.
Leaving Their Mark
As the weekend of weightlifting came to a close, these athletes shared their closing remarks for the future of weightlifters to come.
Witte: “I think if you want to pursue something like this, if you put your mind to it, you can definitely do it. It's very attainable. Trust your coach, trust the people who surround you and lean on them for support.”
Shaft: “You gotta just have fun and be you. Don't try to lift like another athlete or act like another athlete. Just be yourself, work hard, and remind yourself why you're doing it.”
Ulrey: “Stick with it. If you have a dream, chase it.”
Cooper: “Find an environment that is right for you. Your success is your success."
These young women are excelling in what they do on the weightlifting platform, but they are excelling even more with everything else that they juggle. They remind us how important it is to remember why we started, stay positive through challenges, define our own success, and always keep our goal at the forefront of what we do. Nothing worth having comes easy, so let's chase down our dreams and attack each day with the intention of being a champion.
