Tag Archive - women weightlifting

Holley Mangold Leaving The Line, Picking Up The Weights

The Mangold name has been in the news for years. Nick Mangold was a great college football and is now a New York Jets lineman. However, he wasn’t the only football player in the Mangold family. His sister, Holley, also played high school football. She too was a lineman; she too played at over 300 pounds. What differs is Holley is an acclaimed girly-girl. She loves pink nail polish, ribbons in her hair and dresses.

Had a college coach taken the chance putting a female on the team, she could have easily played college football. She was a good lineman, but Holley found new passions. She earned a Track-and-Field scholarship in shot-put and continued aspirations in weightlifting she developed in high school. When she started lifting seriously, her goal was to squat 500 pounds within two years. She hit that goal in four months.

“I just thought it was really fun,” Holley said about weightlifting. “I realized I really liked it.”

She has been urged by coaches and onlookers to begin training with USA Weightlifting in Colorado Springs this fall in hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Olympics

“Holley shows incredible potential,” said Rick Adams, CEO of USA Weightlifting in a recent phone conversation. “She’s one of the most exciting young athletes .we have. She certainly has the attention of the Olympic Committee, and has our attention. We absolutely think she’s a strong candidate for future international teams.”

Cling and Jerk To New Heights

The 2010 Canadian Senior Weightlifting Championship recently took place in Quebec featuring 115 lifters from seven provinces. Kayla Turner, a 22-year-old student, left the meet as the best local lifter.

She competed in the 63 kilo class (138.8 pounds) and completed each of her 6 attempts. She finished with 73 kilos (161 lbs) in the snatch and 85 kilos (187 pounds) in the clean and jerk. She ended the meet with 158 kilo (348 pounds) total. The clean and jerk as well as the total lift, are new school records.

She missed the podium by 0.2 kilo’s, not even half of a pound, but she is young, strong and determined!