Edmonton’s national championship Olympic weightlifter competing in Pan Am Championship – Edmonton

Olympic weightlifting is a sport that requires energy, explosiveness and approach, and an Edmonton athlete is proving she is powerful in all three areas.

Gina McGonagle started Olympic weightlifting as a pastime whereas she was in highschool, however she admits she was not a pure.

“I used to be terrible after I began. Terrible,” McGonagle mentioned.

However present coach, Dan Schultz, noticed glorious qualities within the younger athlete.

“The most important factor that caught out to me was her sheer dedication to coaching and doing properly in performances, pushing herself too. She positively had a fireplace inside her,” Schultz mentioned.

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McGonagle turned dedicated to the game and it confirmed when she competed. She gained junior nationals as a teen, and this spring, on the age of 21, she captured a senior nationwide championship.

“Successful senior nationals was form of my subsequent massive aim, so to have the ability to try this immediately was actually thrilling,” McGonagle mentioned.

“She educated actually onerous and we made a number of changes to the approach, in all probability about 4 months earlier,” Schultz mentioned. “It was simply an superior feeling. Every thing labored out.”

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The end result has earned McGonagle a spot on the Pan Am Championship in Columbia July 24-29. It is going to be a step up in competitors for the Edmonton resident.

“It’s cool as a result of these persons are the individuals I watch on TV and now I’m competing with them,” she mentioned.

McGonagle has loved a quick rise within the sport whereas balancing a demanding profession. She is a full-time nurse on the Alberta Hospital. It has required the 21-year-old to be very self-discipline, though she doesn’t thoughts.

“It’s actually simpler now that I’m not at school as a result of all I’ve to do now’s work and prepare. So I stand up, I prepare, then I’m going to work, then I fall asleep, then I do it once more.”

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When it comes to expectations at her first the Pan Am Championship; McGonagle is taking the perspective of having fun with the expertise and doing her greatest.

“It’s probably not about the place I place. The aim was to get there, so now that I’m there it’s about beating myself and wherever I find yourself I’ll be actually proud of it, so long as I do my greatest,” she mentioned.

Regardless what her result’s on the Pan Am Championship, McGonagle’s future within the sport is vibrant.