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Suzy Sanchez | USA Weightlifting
Director of Culture, Community, and Outreach
Twitter: @USWeightlifting | Instagram: @usa_weightlifting
Q: Tell us about your sports career and how you came to the position you are currently in.
A: I started athletics when I was 6 years old playing club softball through the age of 14. After so many years playing the same sport I was burnt out and dabbled in basketball and volleyball trying to find a sport that was a good fit for me. It wasn’t until transferring to a public school in 2005 that I found the sport of powerlifting (bench, squat, and deadlift) and really fell in love with strength sports. I competed in powerlifting through my senior year of high school in Texas winning 2 state titles before graduation. After powerlifting I knew that I needed to find something I could continue to do in college and beyond and that is how I found weightlifting (snatch and clean and jerk). I was recruited to compete and train for LSU Shreveport in 2009 which is where I trained until 2013. I moved to Colorado in 2013 to begin training at the Olympic Training Center in hopes of making the 2016 Olympic team but unfortunately injured my shoulder and was unable to qualify. After my injury I began working with Houston sports authority on large scale sporting events and opened my own club in Houston, TX. Through my years of involvement in the sport as an athletes and my previous work history I was able to apply and be appointed the director if grassroots outreach in 2017 for USA Weightlifting and eventually took over our athlete recruitment program in 2018.
Q: Did you compete in college or professionally, and if so, who did you play for? What was your experience like?
A: LSU SHREVEPORT in college at the Olympic training center from 2013-2015
Q: What would you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in your sports career?
A: International medalist at the 2012 University worlds and University American record holder in the clean and jerk 2012-2015
Q: What do you consider to be one of the more important things you learned during your career?
A: Discipline is key and there is time for everything else when you retire
Q: What has been your biggest challenge and how do you manage it?
A: Time management is a huge issue but I manage by using reminders and day planners
Q: What qualities do you look for when scouting athletes?
A: Speed, power, and strength
Q: How can athletes learn more or get on your radar?
Q: What can athletes do to prepare for opportunities with USA Weighlifting?
A: Train the Olympic when possible and reach out to sports performance coaches with USAW level1 or 2 certs for coaching
Q: How important is an athlete’s background in high school or collegiate athletics?
A: Somewhat important
Q: Who is the perfect candidate that will succeed in your sport?
A: An athlete who has a drive to be the best and who understands it takes time to succeed. Our sport is not for the weak of heart.
Q: If you could make a positive impact on all of society what would it be and why?
A: That is a tough one the one thing I would want for the world is for everyone to understand we are all made up of different experiences and our perspectives are not all the same but we all have one thing in common and that is that we are all seeking happiness so I suppose I would want people to know that life is about perspective
Q: Who is or has been the most influential person in your life?
A: Kyle Pierce my college coach taught me the importance of giving back and giving everyone an opportunity no matter their history or circumstances
Q: What is something unique about your sport or organization that people would find fascinating?
A: We are the only strength sport in the Olympic games
