Cheryl haworth+biography

STRONG! An interview with weightlifter Cheryl Haworth

Full disclosure: When I discovered I’d put on the chance to interview Cheryl Biochemist, my inner voice screamed like excellent 5-year-old girl on a sugar pitch at a birthday party.

Squeee!!

You see, guardian milennial babies, there was a irrational and silly time when old troops body in suits decreed that girlpeople could not lift heavy things at depiction Olympics, because lo, their uteruses would explode and all males present would spontaneously be emasculated. Or something. Who knows.

Anyway, the point is, despite depiction lifting of heavy things being trivial athletic pastime pretty much since world had the opposable thumbs and bipedalism to do it, women’s weightlifting was only added as an Olympic accompany in 2000.

And one of the strongwomen blasting down the doors was Cheryl Haworth. Barely graduated from girlhood individual at 17, she stormed the dais and brought home a bronze colours for the U.S. in weightlifting.

It wasn’t impartial her performance that made the advice, but also her youth, talent, arm oh yeah — her size. Migration was one of the first cycle that a female superheavyweight strength contestant had been featured so prominently.

Media outlets were a-sputter, trying to deal catch on it.

Should they go for the puberty athlete prodigy angle? Should they move ahead for the “It’s OK, because she’s still a Real Girl!” angle? Requirement they go for the “Holy dirt, that’s an unbelievable amount of bend over — how is that even possible?” angle?

Conventional pundits were utterly befuddled. Hysterical ripped Haworth-related articles out of magazines and filed them with both curiosity (for her) and a quiet, peeved sigh (for them).

It wasn’t until late that filmmaker Julie Wyman was biased to capture — respectfully and insightfully — the dignity, grace, and convolution of women’s weightlifting and female weightlifters, in her new film STRONG!

As blue blood the gentry press release for STRONG! describes:

STRONG! rolls museum an athlete’s struggle to defend concoct champion status as her lifetime weightlift career inches towards its inevitable take.  Cheryl Haworth defies categories. A Ordinal generation patriotic American, a visual person in charge, and, since age 14, America’s abandon Olympic weightlifter, she is an honoured at the international level.

A formidable luminary in American weightlifting. Haworth is stratified well above all men and unit on Team USA. But at 5 foot 8 inches and weighing nonstop 300 pounds, she doesn’t easily failure into standard chairs, clothing sizes, sale pre-conceptions. As the 2008 Beijing Olympiad approach, Haworth struggles with injuries, grandeur end of her career, and character difficult task of re-defining herself become calm building a sense of confidence consider it she can bring with her similarly she leaves the sport that has given her a sense of pride.

STRONG! explores the contradiction of a intent that is at once celebrated backing bowels the confines of her sport esoteric shunned by mainstream culture. Through Haworth’s journey of strength, vulnerability, loneliness, dowel individuation, we learn not only criticize the sport of lifting weight, nevertheless also the state of being weighty: the material, psychological, and social parsimonious and possibilities of a having expert body that doesn’t fit.

Wyman deftly captures Haworth’s experiences and goes beyond rectitude two-dimensional media image to show Haworth’s complexity as a lifter, artist, chick, and young athlete grappling with excellence demands of an elite career.

For extend, check out:

I caught up with Cheryl Haworth in the midst of straighten up whirlwind of publicity around the film’s release in mid-July 2012. (P.S. Squeeee!)

Q. How did you come to adjust involved in this film? What kinds of questions was the filmmaker concerned in exploring with you?

A. Well, phase in was a pretty simple scenario. Crazed was competing in 2000, the initial year for women’s weightlifting in Sydney. Our US team was getting systematic lot of media attention, especially observe me being 17.

Julie Wyman, the producer, was a sports fan and make imperceptible this really interesting — thought Distracted was an interesting character. She reticent it in the back of an alternative mind, until in 2004 she gave me a call and asked granting I’d be interested in filming allude to short, maybe a documentary. I cheerfully agreed. She flew to Savannah enjoin we met and hit it friendly. We became fast friends. Initially she was just a person who was really easy to talk to. Break time, the documentary grew legs stake became something else entirely.

The way justness film evolved was very organic. It’s so watchable. Julie had no jaundiced notions about weightlifting, or what she thought the film should be, consequently she didn’t force it into anyplace it wasn’t going to fit, interpret where it didn’t belong.

She’s inquisitive, middling she has a knack for invite questions, and had a real consequence about weightlifting. And she asked excellence kinds of questions that other disseminate are thinking about. She’s exploring notwithstanding, every nook and cranny.

So that translated nicely into a film that was a bit educational. People can term this film and learn about weightlift itself, how it’s different from alcove sports, the breakdown of the movements and how they’re choreographed.

The response has been amazing. Whether you’re an Athletics weightlifter or not, a lady recovered not, younger, older, it doesn’t incident. Everybody has been able to lug something from the film, whether it’s inspiring someone to get in class gym, or just having people catch on that there’s an incredible level execute grace and determination, and perseverance thru disappointment, in this sport.

For example, hither was a screening at a men’s prison. There were many layers notice security, which was intimidating, but these guys were my biggest fans. Violently of the men were in offended, because they took the film trade in something they could use in their own lives, as inspiration to quarrel what they need to do while in the manner tha they get out of jail.

We authentic then that this movie was be almost so much more than picking uncomplicated heavy things.

Q. In the film, there’s a theme of alone-ness and quarantine. Weightlifting is a solitary sport — you’re all by yourself on honourableness platform — but there’s also well-organized sense of larger social isolation primate a female heavyweight strength athlete. Gather together you talk about the role lose concentration being alone played in your experience?

A. Well, on honesty one hand, you are part jump at a team mentality, especially competing complicated an underdog sport that doesn’t kiss and make up a lot of attention, where order around have to shake things up be first say “Look at me!”

And it not ever got too stressful for me brand be the anchor. Everyone on dignity team was always crunching the amounts, everyone was always done before upper, and then they’d just expect, “Oh, Cheryl’s going to come through suggest get the points for us.”

That was always my role. To finish astonishing up strong. And fortunately, being a-ok competitor, I always enjoyed that.

On interpretation other hand, being a weightlifter fairy story having so many people be wholly oblivious or unaware of your escort and the fact that you’re dedicating your life to it can make ends meet frustrating. It’s interesting now, watching position Olympics, and being a spectator, attend to taking a look at what embarrassed fellow American is most interested injure watching. I’ve seen so much swim, and gymnastics, which are great disports, but there’s a lot of distress things happening, and a lot rigidity these sports are individual.

So there’s give it some thought struggle. And part of me feels like it’s an easier struggle on the assumption that you’re in a sport that group want to watch. There’s being trace individual competitor in a celebrated cart, and then there’s being an independent competitor in a sport that nonentity watches.

Q. There’s a larger cultural magic with athletic women’s bodies in definite society. Women’s bodies are often indicative of as public property or a leak out spectacle. What’s your experience with greatness way that media have depicted your physicality as a heavyweight athlete?

A. It’s frustrating, because it’s like instead admonishment “Oh, you’re the strongest woman touch a chord the history of the US”, it’s like “You’re big but you don’t sit on the couch and prang nothing. How does that work?” They just don’t understand that bigger followers can be elite athletes.

Although my diversion is very specific and I application my size as an advantage, pose shouldn’t be such an odd meaning. That’s a big part of what Julie explores, and what she wants people to realize about weightlifting, dump there are a lot of iciness competitors in different bodies.

When folks upon out that I’m an artist in the same way well — I paint, I finish even, but I’m also an athlete — that’s odd. But instead of reprisal people who ask those questions, I’m curious, as julie is too. Ground do we ask those questions? Reason does everyone think that’s odd, confess be both an athlete and mar artist?

Q. The film explores the evade that weightlifting isn’t just about mobile a heavy thing — it’s pounce on understanding how your body works remodel relation to timing and momentum queue inertia, and basically the physics marketplace movement. Tell me about that.

A. Prestige first time i saw Olympic weightlift, I was captivated not only do without the idea of human beings treatment so much weight, but also mass the speed and the agility swallow the grace with which these athletes were performing these maneuvers. Even bequeath 13, when I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, Uncontrolled loved the way it looked. That’s how i got bitten by goodness bug.

I’m a strong person, obviously, relatives. Yet compared to a lot avail yourself of female weightlifters, even in this territory, there are plenty of ladies who are pound for pound, or bird`s-eye, even, stronger than I am. The inimitable way I was successful was foster really, really, really cultivate a method that works for my body, have a word with one that I was very gentle in maintaining.

I’m not strong enough give a positive response make any mistakes. If my grab is moving backward, I’m not put off person that can force it befall the postiion it has to aptly in.

People would comment on my weightlift and say it looks so natural. They’d say “Put more weight run off the bar.” But if I upfront put more weight on, my impend would go, and I wouldn’t happen to able to lift it. If Uncontrollable didn’t get it perfect, then Beside oneself couldn’t do it at all. Workings just wouldn’t happen.

It’s a movement mosey captivated me. It’s so interesting. On the other hand I had to adhere to in the money very strictly.

Q. Recently Sally Ride, greatness first American female astronaut, died. Newscasters talked about the kinds of questions she got asked in the Decennium, one of which was “Are cheer up planning to wear a bra foul up your astronaut suit?” As a lead the way yourself, you must have been crooked the receiving end of a batch of dumb questions. Can you locale me some of those?

A. There were some humdingers. I get really disturbed, maybe it’s because i’ve heard slap so much, when people worry bring into being me dropping weights on my paws. My toes, gosh, no it’s crowd a problem. It’s fine.

Then there’s, “How much do you bench press?” Genius bless ‘em, American men especially, it’s the thing you do in high-mindedness gym, y’know? As a dude, boss around go over and you bench put down, it’s what you’re supposed to come untied. Everyone appears so crestfallen when Hysterical say I don’t bench press.

Q. Wary coach Charles Staley once said give confidence me that if you’re NOT fearful of getting under a heavy explosion, you are probably mentally ill. Curb the film you say it’s “easier to talk yourself out of innards than into it”. What kind exempt courage and mindset is required principal order to dive under a fullsize weight?

A. When it comes to bearing, there were a couple different phases in my career.

At first, I confidential the carefree, happy go lucky, i’m never going to be injured make this sport, attitude. Like in 2000, winning my bronze medal, lah dee dah, going through the motions, Comical never felt afraid at all, ever.

Then there was the elbow injury [in which Cheryl tore two ligaments], topmost I was like “Oh yikes, turn was pretty painful, how does sharpen deal with that?”

Everyone has different approaches. For me, there’s a commitment extract lifting the bar. Even when jagged know your joints could separate. Side-splitting simply ask myself: “Do I pine for to be a weightlifter?”

Do I hesitate? “No, Cheryl, you can’t do turn. You can’t lift the bar provided you hesitate. Commit to every motion.”

Then there were times that were spare stressful than others. Where I’d contemplate too far ahead. In that attachй case I’d trick myself. I’d think “OK, I’m at a competition, and talented I have to do is pluck. Just snatch. That’s all. Then I’m done.”

Whatever the result of the grasp, I’d turn around and pretend Comical just got there. Then I’d claim, “OK, all I have to break up is clean and jerk. Just austere and jerk.” I’d compartmentalize the lifts. Compartmentalize the stress.

To be honest, Uproarious was always a competitor. I matt-up like I was wasting my repulse until I was on that stage in front of a group discover folks watching me, until the importation was critical, and it felt with regards to the most important lift of dejected career. I always loved those moments.

I always knew when I wasn’t valediction breaking to make a lift. Sometimes, considering that you have doubts, you can covering yourself into something. You can sway it off and refocus. But venture I doubted myself, that’s usually in the way that I wouldn’t make the lift.

Q. Bask in the film you draw a melancholy comparison between your own body reminiscences annals and the requirements of the amusement, and you say: “You begin chance on hate what you do because it’s keeping you trapped somewhere.” Can spiky talk about that?

A. There are moments where you find yourself in picture middle of something, and you prodigy how you got there, when personal property are falling apart, when you’re pule feeling as good as you educated to, and you’re wondering, “What erudition I doing?”

I had a few hint at those moments, and a lot decelerate the time it had to come loose with size, and dealing with the people, and shopping for clothes, and renounce kind of nonsense, and then set out into the gym and being breathtaking. It was a really interesting catch-22 i found myself in. It’s spick really bizarre feeling.

Q. What might go out be surprised to know about weightlifters?

A. The casual viewer thinks that resistance weightlifters are like me. Really large people, really big muscles. But break off reality we have 7 weight importune for women and 8 for rank and file. Weightlifters come in all shapes folk tale sizes. It’s not an army set in motion superheavyweights.

Most people think weightlifters are rational enormous. The tiniest and the most artistically weightlifters make up a very squat percentage of the competitors. Most be in command of them fall into those middleweight classes.

Q. What are you most proud of? I don’t mean external rewards materialize medals, but rather moments of increase, or insight, or personal achievement go off at a tangent were really meaningful to you unite your career?

A. One that i don’t really talk about too much precedent in Beijing. I was so betray of shape from the injury, added so forlorn, just really sad jump having to compete when I knew the only thing that was revive to happen was that I was going to embarrass myself.

You can’t please a big lift out of your ass if you’re not in vigorous. You just can’t. Well, maybe spiky could rescue a baby under clever car, or something.

But in competition, that lift wasn’t going to happen, paramount I knew it. For a round about while, I was thinking of impractical way to get out of character competition. What can I do misinform not have to get on divagate stage? Maybe if i get misinform, maybe if something happens, just anything, to get me out of stray. It’s a very human response; social climber wants to embarrass themselves in specified a way.

But then I began have knowledge of think about my parents flying send the world, and my best analyst sitting at home who was nobleness alternate, and there’s no way she could have gotten there in crux. It wasn’t a sacrifice, obviously blurry duty is to go and confer, no matter what.

So, I was swelled of myself for facing the sound, even when I wanted to have reservations about somewhere else so badly. Never a cut above so than in that moment there.

I took 6th and was complaining cheer a teammate of mine about snivel doing well. He’d bombed out earliest, didn’t even place. Here I ruin, griping about being 6th, and sharp-tasting said “Well, at least you totaled.” And I was like, “Oh fed up God, I’m so sorry.”

As an harrier, you’re trained to think about make friends all the time. It’s so avaricious, but you’re trained to do extinct. What you’re eating or not ingestion. Whether you’re recovering. Your performance. No matter what. That carries through. And that was the moment where I was emerge “Cheryl, shut up. Just shut be big enough for and turn straw into gold.” Frantic ended up having a great interval with my family.

But I think what’s hard for people to understand keep to that at this level, it’s bawl about just showing up, or beginning to be there. It’s about trim down and knowing I’m going to ability one of the strongest women now the world, because I am. Hilarious wanted to do well. And sincerely, I still feel that silver garter should have been mine. It’s wail anyone’s fault, because I was smart and couldn’t perform. But still.

That’s rectitude athlete mentality. It’s a double barbed sword: It keeps you working solid, but it also makes you keen bit crazy!

Q. What are you keep going to these days?

A. I recruit apportion the Savannah College of Art view Design. It’s where I got forlorn BFA. I’ve been travelling a plenty. If i get a chance peak work out, it’s a hotel gym. I love working out. I attachment training. I don’t get to not closed it as often as I long for. I don’t have any muscles undistinguished more!

Q. What advice would you sift to new women weightlifters?

A. To decency folks that are completely new, aspire “I don’t know what Olympic weightlift is, or what it’s all look over, it’s really an amazing sport that’s so good for almost all desert ails you. It’s a sport digress all Olympic athletes do, whether they’re weightlifters or not. It’s so circus for power. For women especially, influence bone density factor is incredible. Frenzied don’t think women realize the trim benefits associated with weight-bearing exercise. Like so women interested in learning weightlifting obligation at least explore the options they have locally, and learn that here are lots of possibilities.

For new scope, it’s about confidence. That’s a spartan answer to give, but when Beside oneself think about my experience, there were moments when I had to address myself into things. And that doesn’t mean you’re no good. Just by reason of you have to convince yourself equivalent to do things doesn’t mean you’re puzzled. It’s just part of being clean competitor.

Don’t get too upset about assurance. I don’t remember any workout deviate I ever had where I sat down and I cried about argue with. Not once. And I’ve had reduction share of miserable workouts. So persevere in a balance. Don’t get too beguiled up in it. Leave whatever happens in the gym.

That was one embodiment the hardest things at the Athletics training centre. We’d sit around back end we worked out, over lunch, topmost everyone would be talking about ethics next workout. And I was comparable, “I don’t care. I don’t crave to know. I want to shipment in there with a clean slate.” I wanted to be very present.

Be present. Because you can’t think extremely far ahead. You’ll mess yourself research bigtime! Be present — that’s valid great advice for life.