Haworth gets community involved at first ever Classic

At the first ever Cheryl Haworth Classic weightlifting competition in early January, U.S. Olympian Cheryl Haworth likes to say she competed alongside the competition, not against them.

"I didn't want to get in there and get in little girls' faces or intimidate people," Haworth joked.

She wanted to have fun and help showcase her sport. Approximately 20 people competed, and 100 stopped by throughout the daylong competition. The competitors ranged from a 9-year-old girl competing for the first time to masters division lifters in their 50s to Haworth, a three-time U.S. Olympian.

"Even though it's just a local meet, that's sort of what it's all about-the grassroots and getting your community involved," Haworth said. "If you can't do that, I don't think you're doing much of anything. It was my pleasure to witness and watch it all unfold and have people excited to compete at your meet."

Haworth said the event at Performance Initiatives gymnasium in Savannah, Ga., went without a hitch. It even included an appearance from Joe Dube, the bronze medalist at the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games.

Haworth began weightlifting when she was 13 and her softball coach convinced the players to try it out at the club across the street. In the next 12 years, Haworth established herself as one of the country's best weightlifters ever.

But while weightlifting took her everywhere from Winnipeg, Canada, to Chiang Mai, Thailand, she spent much of her practice time in her hometown of Savannah, Ga.

When one of her coaches pitched the idea of the Cheryl Haworth Classic, she immediately agreed.

"There is an intimacy and sort of a relaxed atmosphere that goes along with a local competition, and you are there with your neighbors and good friends," Haworth said. "I have some dear friends of mine who never get to see me compete who were able to come out and support the effort, and there is something that is very soul satisfying about that, being with the people you like the most and doing what you like to do."

Haworth's ascent to weightlifting's elite came earlier than most. As a bright-eyed 17-year-old, Haworth was lifting her way to a bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

"It was absolutely head-spinning," Haworth said. "But it was sort of a whirlwind and it happened and was over so fast, and I remember just having the best time being able to represent my country and walking into the stadium for the Opening Ceremonies. There was absolutely nothing else like it."

Haworth tore two ligaments in her elbow and wasn't fully healthy for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Then she had a back injury going into the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. She ended up finishing sixth in both events.

She also had plenty of success elsewhere. Among her major accomplishments are gold medals at the 1999 and 2005 Pan American Games, a gold medal at the 2001 Goodwill Games, a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships, and 11 national championships.

"It's all about the timing," Haworth said. "You go and compete and you can't time it, so every four years it's the best competition you've ever had. You've just got to roll with it, and it's all about the resiliency and bouncing back and learning what your body is trying to tell you."

Haworth now lives and trains in Savannah, and spends about six hours per day, five or six days a week in training. At 25 years old, Haworth potentially could continue weightlifting on an elite level for years. However, with injuries and wear and tear and life in general, she doesn't know for sure if she will be at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

"I'm kind of playing it by ear...but I will be competing this year," Haworth said. "That's the plan anyway."

When Haworth finally decides to retire from competitive weightlifting, she already has an idea for what to do next. She wants a job that deals with the conservation, the rehabilitation and the preservation of objects, landscapes, architecture and other cultural resources. She graduated in 2006 with a degree in historic preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

"It's all so fascinating," she said. "I spent four years of my life learning about it, but one thing that is appealing is the job opportunities and the different directions you can go into. There's no reason, if you're interested in that kind of thing, to get bored doing it because there is so much variety."

In the meantime, Haworth said she plans to continue weightlifting for as long as she can, and she intends to make the Cheryl Haworth Classic an annual event.

"It kind of makes me feel a tiny bit like an old lady," she said. "But it's not yet the Cheryl Haworth Memorial so I can't feel too badly as far as that's concerned."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Chrös McDougall is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.

Tags: Cheryl Haworth, Weightlifting