[INTERVIEW WITH A CHAMPION


]


“ WEIGHTLIFTING IS SUCH AN HONEST SPORT. YOU EITHER LIFT THE WEIGHT OR YOU DON’T.”


wanted me to be a part of the celebration. My parents became more supportive and tried to make all my local meets. My dad had said that he couldn’t believe how nervous he would get when I walked on stage. Takano helped me to deal with any nega-


tivity. He always thought women should have the same right to lift as any guy. People used to want to touch me and feel my arms, espe- cially my students. Many, many years of train- ing transformed my body just like any guy who had trained for years. How could a male lifter not embrace a female’s transformation? Our bodies were a reflection of our hard work and dedication just as much as any guy.” When I asked Diana her opinion about


weightlifting being a ‘man’s world’, she spoke from her experience with pride. “I still remember men from other coun-


tries leaving the arena when the women’s weight classes began. But I know the men I trained with were appreciative of my passion and dedication to weightlifting. I think they enjoyed watching a woman make a big lift just as much as any guy’s big lift. The more we trained, the more our bod-


ies didn’t look like any other female bodies. We had to be okay with that because we wanted to be the best lifters in the world. The media, lately, has changed the image of women too. We’re seeing a lot more women


as strong, superheroes and fighters.” For Diana, Takano, and their teammates, it


wasn’t about being male or female – it was about being a weightlifter. When asked what advice she would give to a woman in the world of weightlifting however, she replied, “I would encourage a woman to go for it!


Get to the size you need to weigh according to your height and stature. You may be wor- ried that men, or women, won’t find you at- tractive but trust me, after 25 years in lifting I can promise you that there will be plenty of people fascinated with your body. They will definitely be attracted to the energy and glow you emanate, especially after you make a big lift.” Juggling work, and a personal life was


also challenging at times for Diana. Not only is she a weightlifter and a teacher, but she is also a mother of three. “In 2003, Tim Chin and I decided to try


and have a baby, and in 2004, a stubborn 17-day-late screaming baby girl entered our lives. When a year old, we decided she should have a sibling – she got two. We end- ed up with identical twin boys. Baby A and baby B became Aiden and Bryce.” She went on to say, “Now it’s all about my


kids. Kaella is a really good soccer player so trying to decide on the best team to have her play on that will help her grow and be


more competitive. She talks about mak- ing an Olympic team and playing like Alex Morgan. She has the right attitude she just needs to get a lot more size on her – good thing her dad and I still have some old Mav- ericks lying around. I think I’m going to start sounding a lot like Takano did with me and my weightgain.” No matter what Diana is doing in life,


she will always be a weightlifter at heart. When asked what the greatest lesson she has learned from the sport was, she said, “Weightlifting has made me the person I am today. My sense of humor, my courage to try new things, my aesthetics for bodies and the sports they represent, and my frankness or honesty. Weightlifting is such an honest sport. You either lift the weight or you don’t. Sure there are bad calls – we’ve all experi- enced them, but for the most part, it’s pretty straightforward. What’s probably the most important lesson we all learn from this sport is it’s hard to not love and appreciate a beautiful lift, even if it’s performed by a woman or man from a culture you don’t like or understand.” After talking to Diana, it is very evident


that she doesn’t look at any other aspect of an athlete in weightlifting aside from their ability, talent, proficiency, and love of the sport.


man – it’s about being good at the sport. USAWEIGHTLIFTING.ORG << 7


It’s not about being a woman or a


FOUR-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION DIANA FUHRMAN WAS RECENTLY INDUCTED INTO THE USA WEIGHTLIFTING HALL OF FAME


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