June 12, 2010-CrossFit Julia Olympic Weightlifting Clinic

 June 12, 2010-11:30am-1:30pm

CrossFitJulia  will be hosting an Olympic Weightlifting clinic that will be taught by 2008 Olympian Carissa Gump. The Snatch and Clean & Jerk lifts will be taught from the ground up for all CrossFit athletes or those interested in learning Olympic Style Weightlifting.

 

If attending the clinic all payments can be made by clicking the secure PayPal button below. If unable to register by PayPal please email Carissa Gump at GordonGump@gmail.com to secure your spot and make payment arrangements.

June 5, 2010 Olympic Weightlifting Clinic at TwinFreaks CrossFit

June 5, 2010-Twin Freaks CrossFit will be hosting an Olympic Weightlifting clinic that will be taught by 2008 Olympian Carissa Gump. The Snatch and Clean & Jerk lifts will be taught from the ground up for all CrossFit athletes or those interested in learning Olympic Style Weightlifting.

If attending the clinic all payments can be made by clicking the secure PayPal button below. If unable to register by PayPal please email Carissa Gump at GordonGump@gmail.com to secure your spot and make payment arrangements.

Thank your Coaches !

 This is the guy that started it all for me, my first Coach, Coach Polakowski from Team Vermont
(This photo was taken a few hours after the Olympic Trials May 21, 2008 when I qualified for the 2008 Olympics)

I have taken on a new role, coaching.  I am working with a local CrossFit gym in Colorado Springs called SoCo CrossFit. I helped coach middle school athletes in Olympic Weightlifting 8-10 years ago, but this is completely different. I am now coaching/teaching a Women's only class 3x's a week !

I really enjoy the challenge of coaching and don't think I ever give my coaches enough credit for what they have done for me. They really do more than just stand there and watch ! Coaching is tiring, it is teaching me patience and helping me form better communication skills.  Living and training at the Olympic Training Center for so many years I am used to be surrounded by the top athletes in the country, it blinded me to realize that not everyone is an Olympic caliber athlete.  Everything Olympic level athletes do they make look so darn easy !

Being a weightlifter and actually coaching weightlifting I have found are two completely different things. Lifting is easy, coaching is hard ! I can not say, "Do this..." and demonstrate the lift. I have to actually break it down and communicate what to do. I am learning something I have done for 14+ years all over again.  Coaching is a completely new way to view your sport through a different perspective !

P.S. Thank your coaches :)

38 Days to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games !

Last week I went to the Broadmoor Skate Club pre-Olympic Skating exhibition. This was the first time I have seen some of the skaters skate and I do see them often working out at the Olympic Training Center. Let me say I was INCREDIBLY impresed !!! My two favorite Olympic Hopefuls from this program are Rachel Flatt and Ryan Bradley. (Of course my favorite hopefuls for the pairs skate is Rockne Brubaker and Keauna McLaughlin as I posted last year!) Next week USA Figure Skating's National Championships will be in Spokane, Washington January 15-24 and the team Olympic team will then be determined. Good luck to Rachel, Ryan, Rockne, and Keauna ! (A short video of Ryan Bradley)

Honoring the 1980 Olympic Team

Today marks the 30 year Anniversary of the announcement by President Jimmy Carter of the potential boycott of the Olympics by the American team. It was not until January 23 several weeks later the final decision was made that the U.S. would not send a team, 60 other countries also made the same decision. I do not want to talk about politics with this situation or get into an argument, I only want to recognize those athletes, both U.S. and foreign, who were unable to fulfill their dreams of competing at an Olympic Games. You are and will forever be an Olympian ! I want to recognize the athletes in my sport of Olympic Weightlifting for their athletic accomplishments and contribution to the sport.

1980 US Olympic Weightlifting Team Mark Cameron, Guy Carlton, James "Butch" Curry, Michael Cohen, Brian Derwin, Bob Giordano, Jerome Hannan, Michael Karchut, Luke Klaja, Joseph Puleo, Callen Schake, Kurt Setterburg, and Thomas Stock. (www.lifttilyadie.com/Results/OlympiansByName.htm)