At the time of this article, we’re about a year away from the 2020 Olympic Games. It’s one hell of an exciting time in USA Weightlifting, mainly because we’ve currently got some of the most talented young athletes in our country’s history on the platform. They’ve been winning dozens of international medals over the last few years, and they’re ready for the big stage.
 
Hayley Reichardt is one of the top names on that list. After being repeatedly pestered by her brother’s coach to give weightlifting a try back in 2013, she decided to overcome her fear of wearing a singlet and jump in a meet. As it turns out, that coach (Dane Miller of Garage Strength) had a good eye for talent, because Hayley has been on a rampage ever since. After medaling at the Youth World Championship in 2016, she went on to become the youngest US female to clean and jerk double bodyweight at the 2017 American Open, hitting a 96 kg lift in the 48 kg class at 18 years old. Her national and international medals have continued rolling in, and she stands poised for even bigger successes as she finishes up her junior years and graduates to the senior ranks in 2020.
 
A teenage girl who clean and jerks close to 100 kg at 105 lbs. bodyweight…that’s something you don’t see every day. Performance Menu is pleased to share a few words from one of America’s most talented young lifters.
 
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 am from Leesport, PA, which is where I currently live. In addition to my weightlifting career, I am a full-time student at the Reading Area Community College (RACC) majoring in Business Administration. I was never into sports growing up. I danced from a young age but stopped when I was about 11 or 12. My eighth-grade year I ran track because all of my friends did it but found that it just wasn’t a good fit for me.
 
Describe your weightlifting history. When/how did you start? Who have your coaches been? What are your proudest accomplishments?
 
My brother, Tanner, is the whole reason I’m in the sport. Dane and Phil Andrews thought that if my brother was successful in the sport, then I could be successful as well. At first, I was extremely hesitant to compete because the idea of wearing a singlet in front of a crowd really freaked me out. Eventually Dane, my coach, convinced me to just give it a try. So, I gave in and I did a super small competition to qualify for Youth Nationals in 2013 and I ended up loving it. Dane has been my coach since I started and has helped me accomplish a lot in the sport. In 2016, I became the first American female to earn a medal at the Youth World Championships where I placed third overall. I also was the youngest female to clean and jerk double body weight; I hit 96kg at the 2017 AO Finals as a 48kg lifter. Then I hit 97kg at the AO Series 1 to make my first Senior Pan Am team. Recently, I went to Fiji to compete at my last junior international meet and I placed fourth in snatch with 74kg, third in clean and jerk with 98kg, and third overall with a 172kg total.
 
Please give a basic description of your training method. Just tell us as much as you can about your program, weekly/yearly planning, etc.
 
I train six days a week, Sunday through Friday, and twice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. At Garage Strength, we use quite a bit of variation. Generally, our training is completely based around technical development and less so around strength development. We always have technical variations that have specific goals to achieve that will lead to a better transfer of training to the main competition lifts. We still do squats, pulls and other strength movements, but Dane is constantly criticizing us with technical cues and always telling us that technical improvement has to be our priority.
 
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?
 
One of the hardest parts of weightlifting, for me, is the mental aspect. I am constantly doubting myself and questioning my ability to make lifts. I’ve made a lot of progress in the past few months with the use of meditation and visualization, but still struggle with negativity in my training.
 
What are your plans and goals for your weightlifting career? How do you see your future in the sport?
 
My goal in this sport is to compete at the Olympics. I’m aiming for 2024 and even 2028. I’d also like to work towards medaling at a Senior World Championship. So far, I have earned medals at the youth world level and the junior world level, so I think it would be quite the accomplishment to earn medals at all three levels. My everyday goal in weightlifting is to just keep making progress by improving technique as well as increasing the weight I lift.
 
Who are some of your major influences, people you look up to, etc.? Who are the people you want to thank for your success?
 
Alyssa Ritchey is a major influence for me in lifting. Not only is she one of the strongest female lifters in the US right now, but she is the most positive, inspiring, and supportive person I’ve met. She has helped me a lot with overcoming mental blocks in training and in competitions and I know she is willing to do the same for any other athlete as well.
 
I want to thank Phil Andrews, the CEO of USA Weightlifting, for convincing me to start this sport in the first place. I also want to thank Dane for constantly nagging me about competing until I finally gave in, for all the things he has helped me accomplish over the past six years, and for everything he does for me on a regular basis. From all of the programs to meal plans to traveling with me to the other side of the world to coach me at international meets, and so much more. My parents are also a big part of the reason why I have been successful in weightlifting. They are my biggest fans and are constantly pushing me to reach my full potential in not only weightlifting but in all aspects of my life.
 
Keep up the hard work, Hayley. You’ve got all the potential in the world, and we wish you the best of luck in the future!