This month we talk to a pair of weightlifters—one returning with newfound passion to the sport after a five-year retirement, the other on her first rise through the ranks. Aimee Anaya is a former national silver medalist and 2008 Olympic hopeful who after only a short time back has surpassed her former records. Sage Burgener is a sixteen year-old with amazingly precise technique and remarkable potential as both an athlete and coach.

"Weightlifting requires an athlete who is willing to accept plateaus and hard times, but not failure."


Sage

Height 5' 5"
Weight 63 KG
Age 16
Snatch 63
Clean & Jerk 75

When did you begin weightlifting? What was your motivation for making it your sport of choice?

I began weightlifting at age four! Of course it was nothing serious (we’re talking broom sticks, people), but being around all the hotshot weightlifters got me motivated. To this day, I'll never forget my brothers teaching me how to snatch. Falling in love with the sport, I started competing at age six and will hopefully compete for the rest of my life.

Weightlifting is definitely not your average girl sport. The determination, the drive, the intensity, and the mentality of it lured me in. Weightlifting requires an athlete who is not afraid of pain and soreness. Weightlifting requires an athlete who is willing to accept plateaus and hard times, but not failure. Most of all weightlifting requires an athlete with heart. That is why I chose this amazing sport to lead my life.

Your father, Mike Burgener, is one of the best weightlifting coaches in the world. How does that affect your training? Do you think he treats you differently than his other athletes? Is it beneficial for you as an athlete?

I am so proud to say that Mike Burgener is my dad. He has been my coach for about nine out of the ten years of my lifting career. Trust me when I tell you that having your dad as a coach can be very difficult. It doesn’t really affect my training so much anymore. My dad and I have learned to cope with each other and we have come to an understanding as to what needs to be done. A year ago my dad decided that having a female coach would really benefit me as a female lifter. Having Kartsi Lundahl as my new coach was the most amazing experience. Getting different standpoints and coaching methods built me into the lifter that I am today. Unfortunately, Kartsi lives in Texas and was able to visit only a couple times a year. I felt that I needed more hands on coaching, so I switched back to having my father as my coach.

My dad is not one to treat people differently. Although he doesn’t push me any more or any less than his other athletes, I think he naturally expects a little more out of his own children. I think that it has been beneficial for me as an athlete because I have one of the best coaches ever as my dad! Growing up with him and learning his ways has not only made me a better athlete, but also a better coach. My dad has the ability to make his lifters motivated and determined. My dad’s coaching has made me want to be the best that I can be.

What do you see as being your strengths and weaknesses and how does your training reflect that?

Well, let's just say that I have years and years of improvement ahead of me. My biggest weakness is definitely my leg strength. Of course I got my mom’s long, skinny legs—definitely not ideal for a weightlifter. Getting my leg strength up has been my main focus for all my years of lifting and I'm sure it will continue to be. Having weak legs can really affect every lift. Strong legs are necessary for standing up with cleans. As a result of weak legs, I count on catching the bounce out of the bottom in the clean, and if I fail to do that, there is no way I can stand up with a PR clean attempt. Another weakness is self-confidence. Being a confident lifter can get you so much further than if you have a negative mind like me. Through years of experience, I have learned that if I believe I can make a lift, I will make it. As for my strengths, I have inherited the Burgener jerk. Because of my dad, I have never missed a jerk (knock on wood).

Would you describe your training regimen?

My dad writes all my programs and likes to base them off of my weaknesses. Whatever I seem to be having trouble with that week is what we work on. A lot of legwork and back work is included in my workout. One of my dad's favorite squat workouts is 10 sets of 3. The weight varies from 70%-85% of my best clean. For me, I tend to do the 10 x 3 with the heaviest weight I can handle for that day. A powerlifter by the name of Bull Ternus came and stayed with us for a week, and for me that was a miracle. He helped me out with my squatting a lot too. Bands and chains were included in my squat workouts after he came. The bands are a great way to strengthen the "sticking point", which means you'll be able to get out of the clean a whole lot more explosively. Dumbbell and kettlebell exercises are typical things we include in my workout. An example of a kettlebell workout would be 1 clean, 1 front squat + Sotts press, stand up with weight overhead, right leg lunge, left leg lunge. That is one rep and you typically do 5 reps each arm. 5 sets of that and you are in severe oxygen debt! Workouts like that are physical, yes, but they are also extremely mental. Telling your body and mind to just keep going and to not quit while doing those workouts separates the champions from the average athletes. If I feel like I need to include some more work on my lower back, I do reverse back extensions with the resistance of a band.

I know you're dealing currently with a wrist injury. What caused that and how has your training been adjusted because of it?

Yes, the wrist injury. Unfortunately, I don't know the cause. One day I developed a pain in my wrist and it has been hurting ever since. This injury has dramatically affected my lifting. Unable to be snatching and clean and jerking is what hurts me the most. It’s hard for a lifter to be in a gym watching those who are pain-free doing the lifts. Because of the injury, I now realize how patience can be an important factor in recovery. As for now, squatting is my best friend.

Your oldest brother Casey is currently the number one ranked male weightlifter in the US and recently won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games. How does that affect you as an athlete? Do you feel greater pressure to succeed because of your brother's achievements?

Casey Burgener is my inspiration and drive. Of course he already knows this because I tell him every time we talk. Seeing my brother push through the good times and the bad make me realize where hard work can get you. My brother has earned every medal he has received and every lift he has succeeded in. He has taught me that if you put your heart and soul into it, you can accomplish anything. He has also taught me that you can have the best coach, the best equipment, and the best support available to you, but only you can get yourself where you want to go.

Of course I feel pressure to meet the standards my brother has created. Whenever one hears about a relative of an Olympian or an amazing athlete, he or she expects to see the same results out of that relative. My dad is so proud of my older brother and all he has accomplished. I hope to someday receive that honor for my weightlifting.

What so far do you view as your biggest accomplishment in the sport?

So far, my biggest accomplishment has been qualifying for the school-age camp held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The top ten female school-age lifters got to attend the camp and I’m proud to say that I was one of them. It was the experience of a lifetime. Being with the coaches that coach Olympians only makes you want to someday become their lifter.

What are your career goals?

Of course you all know what I am going to say for this one because who doesn’t want to go to the Olympics? I am striving to make it to the 2012 Games. Most of all, I am just striving to be the best lifter I can be. I want to die knowing that I put my heart and soul into becoming better.

What advice do you have for young athletes interested in becoming weightlifters?

I encourage all young athletes to take up some form of Olympic style weightlifting. Even if you're just looking into doing it as a side sport, it is still extremely beneficial for all sporting events. Weightlifting is a unique sport that requires motivation, determination and heart. If you're looking into becoming a weightlifter, you have to keep those things in mind. A weightlifter has to be patient with injuries and plateauing; and a weightlifter must always be prepared to put everything they have into this sport. When starting lifting, you must have the mindset of a champion. Weightlifting is an addiction. Prepare to be in love.



Aimee

Height 5'6"
Weight 63 kg
Age 29
Snatch 83 kg
Clean & Jerk 102 kg

When did you begin weightlifting? How did you hook up with Coach Burgener? What was your motivation for making it your sport of choice?

I started weightlifting in 1997, in August, I believe, right before school was going to start. I met Coach Burgener through a fella named Mike Abruso. I was playing volleyball for him, for fun, and he apparently saw beyond this little skinny girl (seriously, I weighed about 110 lbs), and thought I could jump, knew I had played sports forever, or maybe he just wanted to get rid of me and get me off the volleyball team. So one day, he told me he wanted me to meet this weightlifting coach named Mike Burgener. Really, I never understood why he sent me up there, but thankfully he saw something in me that I didn’t know was there. So I remember the day I walked up the hill to meet Coach B. I had never even heard of a snatch or a clean & jerk before. Never had I done a squat or a pull or a press. I was in sports (track, basketball, and volleyball) through high school, but we didn’t have a strength coach. We never went to the gym. So I was totally clueless. I had absolutely no idea how to lift weights. Anyway, sorry I'm getting sidetracked.

I started going up everyday. The gym became my life, Casey and the other athletes became my best friends, and it was a lifestyle. Three months after training I went to the American Open, and I think I did 60 and 75, or something like that. That total was enough to make the Jr. Squad camp, and it continued from there. I wasn’t focused or consistent for the first year or two I was lifting, because I didn’t know how to be. I started getting focused in 1999, and that is when my numbers started to increase, my technique began to be consistent, and I was able to compete at the top of my weight class. That is when I started medaling at the National level.

My motivation for making weightlifting my sport of choice was and is my Coach. He taught me how to be an athlete, and how to fall in love with a sport. I love the feeling of competing. I am extremely aggressive, and I strive for a challenge. I crave the act of doing endless reps, training every day, the success of a lift, sweating, crying, screaming, laughing—all for those few moments to stand on a platform. I am thankful for the family that I have obtained through my sport. I wish I could find Mike Abruso and thank him for providing me with an opportunity to become an incredible athlete, and to find the most amazing Coach I have ever met, who is a father to me. I truly love, respect, and admire him. I would be lost without him. Totally incomplete as an athlete and as me. Seriously. Is that too mushy?

What so far as been your biggest accomplishment in the sport?

Five years ago I would have told you that my biggest accomplishment was snatching 80 & clean & jerking 100, winning the silver medal at Nationals, and going to live at the Olympic Training Center. However, I know now that that is merely a minor event in my overall lifting career that is about to surface. I can honestly say that my biggest accomplishment in the sport is asking Casey if I could come to the gym on Saturday, November 28th, 2005 and tying up my shoes that my feet had longingly missed, walking onto the platform, smelling the gym, rubbing the chalk on my hands, and doing the first snatch I had done in five years.

What inspired you to return to weightlifting after your five-year retirement? What are some of the most difficult parts of returning to the sport after such a long hiatus?

I missed it. I missed the feeling of a successful lift. I missed the smell of the gym. I missed the chalk on my hands. I missed being an athlete. I missed being good. I missed wanting to get better. I missed my Coach and his family. When I went back to the gym on that Saturday, I was only anticipating doing it for fun, just that day. After the workout, I decided to lift a couple days a week. I remember telling Coach B that I would commit to three days a week, but that was it. Well after the first week, I couldn’t stay away. I started training five days a week, full force. I decided to leave the foo-foo shit at the door and train for real.

The most difficult part of coming back is getting my body back into shape. After five years off, I lost flexibility, I lost all of my strength and muscle, and I lost my technique. I was weak and out of shape, and couldn’t find any consistency. I had lost my jerk, couldn’t get out of a clean, and my snatches were just wildly out of control. I think had I tried to stay in some kind of shape during those five years, I would not have had as much difficulty. Amazingly enough, my muscle memory has saved me. It is approaching my sixth month training mark and I have superseded all my prior records in all lifts: squats, pulls, presses, snatch balances, etc. I snatched 80 & clean & jerked 100 after four months of training. So basically, it took me four months to achieve the lifts that I achieved in four years before. I am much stronger now, mentally and physically, compared to then. Something that I had to really work to overcome in my training was the constant visual of what I had been doing before. It is not an issue now, but the first couple months of training I would get so frustrated. I would try and snatch 60, and miss it, and would just freak out, because all I could see in my head was me snatching 80 before I retired. My coach had to constantly remind me to put the past away. But maybe that frustration gave me the drive I needed to surpass those lifts.

What are your career goals?

If only I hadn’t left the sport, where would I be today? That is what makes me focus now. It gives me an undeniable drive. I have a lot to achieve in a very short time. I have five years of training to make up for. Today, my goal is to go to Nationals in August and medal. I need to get ranked in the top ten overall—that is my immediate goal. Secondly, I want to make the world team the next two years, up my ranking, and go to Olympic trials as one of the top ranked so that I can assure a spot on the 2008 Olympic team. I will be there.

Describe your experience training at the OTC.

When I went to the training center, it was a few months before Olympic trials in 2000. So obviously the intensity at the OTC as a whole was remarkable. All of the athletes were preparing for the Olympics, and it was the first year women weightlifters were going to the Olympics, so there was an added excitement in the gym. The girls were all so nice to me, and completely welcoming as athletes and friends. I shared a platform with Tara Nott, which was an unexplainable experience. She was an unbelievable athlete, and she was going to be competing in the Olympics. So to do sets daily with her was completely inspiring and motivating.

The training center is very routine. You wake up, eat breakfast as a team, train, nap, eat lunch, train, hang out, sleep, go to sports med, train, and do it all again the next day. You have the best medical attention, food whenever you want it, and great coaches. You have every opportunity to recover, you train twice a day, you are surrounded by some of the best lifters in the country, and it rocks. However, I truly missed my coach. I think I am a better weightlifter when I am with him. He pushes me, and I train better when he is there. He is an unbelievable coach and his knowledge and love for the sport is irreplaceable. I wish I had the maturity then that I have now. I see some of the girls who were there with me and who are still lifting now, and it makes me realize where I would be now had I not left the sport. But the only thing I can do is train hard, stay focused, and be thankful that I have another opportunity to be great.

Unlike many of the athletes of your caliber, such as those living at the OTC, you're a mother, work full time and are a graduate student in addition to training. What keeps you motivated day to day?

Although I have an extremely supportive boss, daughter, family and coach, I am at an extreme disadvantage to those lifters who don’t have the added responsibilities that I do. My motivation comes from my knowing I am at a disadvantage. I have to work extra hard to compensate, and I need to do so recovered, rested, and injury free. You just make it work. I wake up each morning, and I just do it. One step at a time, I get through the day, and I make it work. I have to. I don’t cry about it. I just do the best I can with what I have, and pray that I will be successful. And I will.