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[2015 USA WEIGHTLIFTING HALL OF FAME] IWF Weightlifting Hall of Fame continued from previous page


Do you still follow Olympic weightlifting and our American athletes as they gear up for Rio 2016?


ing field and hope that they do not feel pres- sured to use performance-enhancing drugs.


What is your most memorable moment from Olympic career?


podium in the 2000 Games and seeing the American flag raised. Most of the compe- tition itself is a blur, but I clearly remember the overwhelming excitement as I stepped on the podium to receive my medal.


NC:


Note: Nott Cunningham was later awarded the Olympic gold medal after the original winner, Izabela Dragneva (Bulgaria), was dis- qualified for drug use.


KARYN MARSHALL M: Yes. I see what people are doing,


and I love to keep up. We are headed in the right direction, and it’s pretty awe- some to see. There is great potential with our American athletes so we need to take good care of them and give them the sup- port they need. I met several of our athletes at Worlds, including Travis Cooper, Jessica Lucero, and Sarah Robles. It was nice to meet them and cheer them on.


NC: Yes. With my husband’s job and


taking care of our children, I haven’t been able to make it to any competitions recently but I do follow everything that is happen- ing. I am friends with a lot of our athletes on Facebook so it has been fun to keep up with their careers from afar. We have a lot of very talented lifters, and I am excited to see them represent the United States in Rio.


You have spoken in the past about illegal performance drug use – and were directly affected by it in the 2000 Olympic Games. This is a widespread issue today in sport. Any thoughts you want to share on this?


NC: Now that I have kids, it saddens


me even more to see how widespread per- formance-enhancing drug use is today in sports. I hope globally that we continue to fight hard against it. I want future genera- tions to be able to compete on a level play-


8 >> USAWEIGHTLIFTING.ORG KARYN AND TARA


tion for women. My first competition was a qualifying meet for the 1979 Empire Games. I qualified, but because I was a female, I was not allowed to advance to the final competi- tion. During this time, there were no other women I knew who lifted. Maybe there were some others, but we didn’t know each other until we met at the first Nationals (1981) and Worlds (1987). It definitely was not easy. We were told that only men were important, and women were not taken seriously. The


You were the female pioneer for the sport of weightlifting and have witnessed the great pro- gression of women in the sport. Could you share some thoughts on this?


NC: In 1985, I was the first woman in


the world to officially clean and jerk over 300 lbs. Now the female record is over 400 lbs. That’s progression. When I started weight- lifting in 1978, there were no Nationals, Worlds, Olympics, or any sort of competi-


Standing on the silver medal


TARA NOTT CUNNINGHAM


criticisms had a reverse effect on me. It fu- eled me to be even better and prove to the weightlifting organizations, governing bod- ies, and athletes that women did deserve it and we were good enough. Today, I am so happy to see gyms full of women lifting to- gether. Back in the 1980s, there was no type of community like this for female lifters. It is pretty incredible to see.


What advice would you give to weightlifters that are just start- ing out in the sport and to those that have a goal to compete at the top levels?


M: Weightlifting can embrace both


types of athletes – it’s a fun sport acces- sible to all levels. Regardless of whether or not you want to compete, you can get fit and stronger. Find a good coach and learn proper technique. And then if you catch the competitive bug, there are always competi- tions you can participate in. For those who want to reach the Olympics, that is a whole different path. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. You need to be single focused. 24/7 – you are an athlete. Surround yourself with the best team possible – coaches, doc- tors, teammates, fans – because you cannot do it alone. The athletes that can find this level of focus and support will be the most successful.


NC: The best advice I can give to peo-


ple just starting is to spend time on learning proper technique and don’t get caught up on how much you are lifting. Proper tech- nique will give you greater benefits in the long run. For those that have their eyes set on the Olympics, work hard but be patient. Weightlifting is more like a marathon than a sprint. Results are not always immediate.


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