I’ve been saying it for years…all the weightlifters out there who didn’t find the sport until they were in their late 20s have a bigger advantage than they think they do. Sure, they’re probably not going to make the Olympic Team, but they’ll all hit their best lifting right around the time they enter the masters division, which will allow them to do a lot of cool things.
 
Such is the case with Meriah McLeish. Like a million other athletes, she got introduced to Olympic weightlifting through CrossFit when she was closing in on 30. Everybody thinks that’s a disadvantage, but look at the position she’s in now. After winning the National Masters Championship in 2017 and breaking the American Masters Record in the snatch with a 91 kg lift at the 2017 American Open, Meriah is enjoying the best lifting she’s ever done. After bouncing from North Dakota to Montana to Colorado to Arizona looking for the best situation she could find as a weightlifter, she finally hit the nail on the head. Representing Iron Athlete, Meriah is making some noise as in the open division as well as the masters.
 
Reading a story like hers is a great inspiration to those of you who are waiting for your day to come, knowing you’re over the hill in elite weightlifting years. You never know, you just might wind up as a national champion in the older age groups someday, which is an amazing thing to do. The Performance Menu is proud to give you a look at one of the best female masters in the US.
 
Tell us about your background. Where are you from, where do you currently live, what’s your occupation, family life, what kind of sports background do you have outside of lifting, etc.

I grew up in very small towns of rural North Dakota about 50 miles southeast of Bismarck. For those of you over the age of 35, that's Lawrence Welk territory, dontcha know. I did a tiny bit of throwing in track, and some “wrestling mat” gymnastics that was self-taught tumbling (from books, y'all, pre-YouTube). In high school, almost all of my time was spent playing basketball, and I continued that casually throughout college. I moved to Chandler, AZ a little over a year ago, and started working as the operations manager at East Valley CrossFit this fall. 
 
Describe your weightlifting history. When/how did you start? Who have your coaches been? What are your proudest accomplishments?

• I was introduced to weightlifting after college, in Montana, via CrossFit in 2008. I competed in the 2011 NW Regionals and came back burnt out on the competitive side of CrossFit. I spent about a year unmotivated and haphazardly training CrossFit and Weightlifting before I seriously started training and competing in weightlifting in 2012. Every Wednesday, these two guys would come in, and we'd lift for the entire afternoon. I trained with these two for an embarrassing amount of time before I really put together who and what Steve Gough and Mike Karchut were and had done in the sport of weightlifting. I moved to Colorado in the spring 2014 and trained on my own for maybe about a year and, after a tough go with some online templates, I started working remotely with Jeremy Galo and Iron Athlete, which is where I am today.
  
  Some of my proudest moments:
• Snatching 90kg+ in training in 2013, before my social media was filled with a million people doing it
• Qualifying for the 2015 Nationals after training alone for almost a year
  Hitting a 91kg snatch at the 2017 American Open for my first PR in the snatch in four years and one of my most technically sound performances

Please give a basic description of your training method. Just tell us as much as you can about your program, weekly/yearly planning, etc.

Leading up to the 2017 AO, I was breaking my sessions into two, separating my squats from my main lifts and pulls. This really helped me get the most of out my training, and as much as I dislike squatting 8s and 10s, they have also served me well recently. While we make tweaks based on what pops up, you can see most of my 'training secrets' at www.eastvalleycrossfit.com. I should also say, while a good training program is important, accessory work and consistent bodywork/care have been just as critical to my success as my training. 
 
Describe some of the obstacles you face, or maybe some things that frustrate you in your weightlifting life. What kinds of changes would you like to see, either personally or with the sport in general?

I'm on the hypermobile side of human beings, and I have a hard time keeping tension under load. Mix that with bad lifting habits and I get can extremely lopsided, causing various aches and pains. My coach Jeremy is also a Fascial Stretch Therapist (FST) and has helped a ton in my tissue issues. Now that we’ve fixed a few things, building strength while staying healthy has been a big challenge. I tend to fall apart when the load goes up. Another other big challenge has been deciphering between feeding my ego or trusting the process. Am I being lackadaisical or do I need to back off? Do I train like my 20-something teammates and outtrain my social media arch nemesis or as a newly classified geriatric? Getting older (and wiser?) is not just listening to my body, but more so being okay with having to back off when needed and trusting that it's best for the long game.

What kind of changes would I like to see in weightlifting?

With the growing popularity of weightlifting and the talent of athletes and coaches exploding along with what looks like a push for clean sport internationally, I think weightlifting is in for some big changes no matter what. Personally, I'd like to see a smart reorganization of at least the women's weight classes. Now that I am involved more in the masters weightlifting, I'd like to see better integration of the two worlds as well.
 
What are your plans and goals for your weightlifting career? How do you see your future in the sport?

Moving to Arizona, I thought I only had one maybe two good years left before my body said no more. However, after a good solid year of training, my technique continues to improve, along with my confidence. I'm hitting numbers that I did in my first year and more consistently even though my legs are nowhere near as strong. I had the best performance of my career at this AO, which brings some of my original goals back into light. A 200+kg total, clean and jerking 120kg+ and snatching 95kg+ still feel like realistically challenging numbers for me and create a feeling similar to what Thelma and Louise must have felt BEFORE they hit the edge of the cliff. Putting that goal out for the public to see creates a sensation of what they must have felt AFTER they cleared the edge of the cliff (ugh, I really dated myself with that movie reference). I'm also excited to get more involved in coaching at some point, getting involved locally with the Arizona Weightlifting Federation, and potentially getting more involved on the other side of the platform with USAW in some capacity.
 
Who are some of your major influences, people you look up to, etc.? Who are the people you want to thank for your success?

American Weightlifting is on fire right now! So much young talent coming up in the ranks and it's only going to get better and better! I am watching a lot of Rebeka Koha (58kg Latvia) and Kuo Hsing-Chung (58kg Taiwan) videos on repeat lately. I have so many people to thank for shaping me over the years. Steve Gough and Mike Karchut for spending so much time with me in the early days and leading me into this world. My Montana, Colorado, and Arizona friends and teammates for supporting and encouraging me along the way. August Schmidt and Jeremy Galso (East Valley CrossFit and Iron Athlete) for making the move to Arizona one of my best decisions and keeping me afloat in weightlifting. My little ND hometowns and high school coaches for their support of women's sports. My grandparents, parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephews for always being my biggest fans.
 
Between Lawrence Welk, Thelma, and Louise, we all know where you’re coming from, Meriah. Keep kicking ass and enjoying every minute before the car goes over the cliff!