Saskatoon weightlifter taking steps towards Olympic dream at 14-years-old

Even when the temperature is -20 C, Olympic weightlifting hopeful Etta Love makes her way to the unheated makeshift gym that used to be her parents’ garage a year ago.

With a lifelong dream on the line, -20 C is nothing because she doesn’t take days off.

“For me, weightlifting, the reason I loved it was always the part where my mind felt the most peaceful,” Love said.

“It’s the thing that makes my anxiety go away. It’s the thing that makes me feel still, where I can just be.”

Love remembers watching her mom’s CrossFit workouts as a young child and she wanted to join in.

Once she got her hands around a barbell, she was hooked. By the time she was nine-years-old she was back squatting 45 kilograms (100 pounds) over her head.

Now, at 14-years-old, Love is the youngest member of the Canadian weightlifting team going to the Junior World Championships in Heraklion, Greece, in May.

“I love the sport, but I’m still working. These little accomplishments along the way – I can celebrate them, but they’re not the end goal,” Love said.

Love reached out to American Olympic Weightlifting Coach Aimee Anaya Everett as a sort of pipe dream to take her love of competing to the next level.

Everett accepted, and their relationship has been nothing but smooth since Everett joined up a year ago.

“I very much coach with my whole soul, and I think that is something people are drawn to and that she sees,” Everett said.

Everett lives in Oregon, more than 1,609 kilometres away, so getting the most out of Love as she trains in a freezing cold gym while talking to Everett through a computer screen is easier said than done.

“It’s inspiring to see someone at such a young age has the discipline, the will and the tenacity to go out in her garage by herself and work towards a goal of getting better and proving to her Canadian federation that she is a force to be reckoned with,” Everett said.

Deanne Freisen is the secretary-treasurer for the Canadian Weightlifting Federation. She feels Love has already proved a lot, given her extensive weightlifting experience for her age, albeit with little competitive experience.

“Certainly Etta’s got lots of potential in this sport,” Friesen said. “We’re really excited to have her on the team, so it’s super exciting to have her come and be part of this as her first big international competition,” Friesen said.

Love qualified for the team late last month in Ontario at the Canadian Invitational Tournament. The Saskatoon weightlifter completed a 95 kg snatch (lifting the barbell overhead in one motion), and also a 115 kg clean and jerk (lifting the barbell and pulling it to the shoulders, and then overhead). The combined weight of 210 kg landed her on the Canadian National Juniors team.

While Love is happy to show that young girls everywhere can one day be Olympic weightlifters, she’s slowly warming up to the idea of being a role model.

“That’s still something I’m getting used to,” Love said. “I’m used to being the fan girl. The people who I might be a role model for help inspire me.”

Love is also busy fundraising for her trip to Greece. She’s set up a GoFundMe page which is just over $500 short of reaching her $6,000 goal.