Markus Nielsen
Canada
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My weightlifting journey began roughly 3 years ago in the summer of 2012. While watching the London Olympics, I was extremely inspired by the men and women who would come out and lift heavy stuff above their head with the speed of lightning. I had been preparing for Hockey tryouts up until that point, but it didn't take long for me to make up my mind and change directions in my athletic aspirations. I started training at Peak Power Sport Development under USSR Master of Sport coach Henrik Grigoryan in September 2012 with the intention to go as far as the sport could take me
Within a few months of training, I had qualified for the Junior Nationals. Although I was last place in my weight category by a considerable margin, I was a wonderful experience to compete among such high caliber lifters who were of similar age to me. Nationals really pushed me to train harder and focus on weightlifting. As I continued to work on the sport over the next year, my target was to improve my standing at the 2014 Junior Nationals and win a medal. After setting a new junior record for Alberta in the 94 kg weight class in November, the prospects for success seemed strong. These did not come to pass however, as I failed to make a single lift in the Snatch phase of the 2014 Junior Nationals, and thus was unable to place at all in the competition. It was a harsh blow for both myself and my coach, who had been expecting a place on the podium that year. If lack of success at the previous years Nationals had fuelled my training, this did so tenfold. I was determined to succeed in this sport, and for the next year I never missed a workout, training six days a week, many times lifting twice a day while studying Biochemistry at the University of Calgary. It was definitely a tough year, having to fight through tendonitis of the wrist and a constantly nagging back injury. Despite my discipline with training, these injuries kept my lifting totals at a plateau. It wasn't until November when I was training pain-free that I was able to start improving again. By the time the 2015 Junior Nationals rolled around, I had increased my total by 40 kgs in 3 months and I won gold in the 105 kg category.
While winning Junior Nationals was a great accomplishment, I would love in the future to have the opportunity to represent Canada internationally. My aspirations for international competition include the Junior World Championships, Senior World Championships, Pan American Championships, and the Olympic Games. To fuel these dreams, I have decided to move to Montreal this fall, 2015 in order to continue training under my coach Henrik, and be provided with the best opportunities in the sport while continuing to go to school.
I want to thank you for helping to fuel the journey!