Topic: Please Introduce Yourself

[Pierre Suter]

Name: Pierre Suter
Age: 31
Gender: M
Occupation: Actuary
Location: North Georgia
Team: Unattached
How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?: Enjoyed power cleans in high school.  College gym had a platform and bumpers (probably thanks to Bryan Jacob) so I took it from there.  No coach.
Years involved in weightlifting: 12
Athletic achievements: nothing beyond the local level.  125/142.5 @94
Role in weightlifting: athlete and fan
Coaching/educational credentials: none, just read stuff
Favorite weightlifter: Jaber, Weller, Kakishvillis
Interests other than weightlifting: food, sleep, air, and my two kids
Other information you would like to share: My boys ages 6 and 8 already love working out: OHS and HPC&PP three times a week.

[Monterio Woodson]

Name: Monterio S. Woodson
Age: 37
Gender: M
Occupation: Director, Technology Integration
Location: Ashburn, VA (near Washington, D.C.)

Team: East Coast Gold/Central Maryland Gold

How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?:  I was a wrestler and football player through college, and I had been a champion powerlifter for too many years to count (retiring, unretiring, retiring again) and sought a new challenge.  USAW put me in touch with Mike Cady in 1998, and I gave weightlifting a try (I figured my power would catapult me to instant fame and fortune... WRONG!)  Though I have since parted company with Mr. Cady, I haven't looked back.  I only wish I had stumbled upon o-lifting 10 years earlier!  

Years involved in weightlifting: since 1998

Athletic achievements: 85/120 @ 69kg.  Masters National Champion; Masters PanAm Champion; American Open appearance at 36 years old!

Role in weightlifting:  Athlete, Coach, President and Board Chairman of Central Maryland Gold Olympic Weightlifting Club (ECG affiliate); Meet director
 
Coaching/educational credentials: Club Coach Certified, LWC Referee

Favorite weightlifter: All!  I'm a fan of any man, woman, or child with the guts to get on that platform and throw heavy things over their head for no apparent reason!  But if I had to pick one, it would be Lance Frye!  Not only is he my friend and teammate, but he is amazing to watch.

Interests other than weightlifting: Golf!  They don't call me "Tiger" Woodson for nothing!  (SHANE -- If you're reading this, my challenge still stands!)

Other information you would like to share:
Married, 3 daughters (21, 4, 22-months), and 1 on the way (PLEASE be a BOY!)

[TannerKolb]

Name: Tanner Kolb
Age: 24
Gender: M
Occupation: Fitness Specialist, S&C Coach, Full time grad student
Location: Stillwater, OK
How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?: when i was in high school my dad show me the o-lifts and i have been doing them since, and got the club coach cert. last year.
Years involved in weightlifting: none competitively
Athletic achievements: none in weightlifting only wrestling
Role in weightlifting: coach high school athletes
Coaching/educational credentials: USAW Club Coach, CSCS, BS Sports and Exercise Science
Interests other than weightlifting:
Wrestling
Rock Climbing

[Anthony Tridico]

Name: Anthony Tridico
Age: 33
Gender: male
Occupation: HS Strength Coach/Physical Education/Health Teacher
Location: Titusville, Pennsylvania
Team: No affiliation
How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?: My father started me in 7th grade, but I did not learn the weightlifting exercises until I went to the University of Arkansas
Years involved in weightlifting: 11
Athletic achievements: Defensive Back Univ of Arkansas, 4 Bench press titles in non-drug organizations, nominated High School strength professional of the year 2005.
Role in weightlifting: coach
Coaching/educational credentials: C.S.C.S., 30 graduate hours completed in exercise and sport studies(Boise State U.), B.S. Kinesiology(Univ of Arkansas)
Favorite weightlifter: Alexyev
Interests other than weightlifting: family, golf.
Other information you would like to share:

[Damon Davis]

Name: Damon Davis

Age: 28

Gender: Male

Occupation:Strength and Conditioning Coach (University of Iowa)

Location: Iowa City

Team: Windy City Weightlifting

How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?: In college did variations of the olympic lifts, after becoming a strength coach and learning more about weightlifting fell in love with it.

Years involved in weightlifting: 5

Athletic achievements: Collegiate Heavyweight Wrestler, Northern Illinois University 4 years

Role in weightlifting: Spectator, Competitior, Coaching for Sports

Coaching/educational credentials: CSCS, BS in Exercise Science, USAW
 
Favorite weightlifter: Admire all that have achieved high levels in the sport

Interests other than weightlifting: Scottish Heavy Athletics, Sports Science, Learning

Other information you would like to share:

[Rob Macklem]

Name: Rob Macklem
Age: 52

Occupation: Pharmacist

Location: Victoria Bc Canada

How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?: High School, Edmonton Alberta

Years involved in weightlifting: 35 yrs

Athletic achievements: 117.5 + 155 @ 82.5kg
Last competition   97.5kg+ 122.5kg @ 83kg 1997   6 for 6 @ age 45      
Role in weightlifting: Bit of everything, I love the sport.

Coaching/educational credentials: Level 3 coach Canada

Favorite weightlifter: I like them all; big ,small, young, old, famous,beginner. Anyone who sets foot on the competitive platform has my admiration.

Interests other than weightlifting: Photography, Photoshop, Gardening, collecting weightlifting Magazines, Books,video and Info.

Other information you would like to share: 30+ yrs of Olympic weightlifting and virtually injury free, few yrs ago put on the roller blades and fell with complete tears of 3 rotator cuff tendons. Never say die...plan on lifting on the plafform again.

[Matt Foreman]

Name: Matt Foreman

Age: 32

Gender: Male

Occupation: High school English teacher, football/track and field coach

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Team: Calpians

How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?: I competed in powerlifting in high school, saw Leonid Taranenko C&J 266 on ESPN when I was 16 and wanted to try it, taught myself to lift from a book until a coach took me to the OTC in 1990 and John Thrush taught me to lift correctly

Years involved in weightlifting: 15

Athletic achievements: National Collegiate Champ (94-95), American Open/Senior National medalist from 1993-present, 2000 World University Championships team, 2004 Olympic Trials, WA state record holder

Role in weightlifting: Athlete, coach, meet director, referee, spiritual advisor, post-meet entertainment director, role model

Coaching/educational credentials: My guys usually lift big weights

Favorite weightlifter: Alexander Kurlovich

Interests other than weightlifting: Music, movies, sports, staying off my feet so my back doesn't hurt during my next workout, trying to launch my career as a backup dancer in rap videos

Other information you would like to share: Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life.

[Jeff Roark]

Name: Jeffery Roark
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Occupation: Electronics Technician Federal Bureau of Prisons
Location: Kentucky
Team: n/a
How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?: I started lifting weights under my uncle and simply used semi powerlifting and bodybuilding routines on and off over about a 15 year period. I probably have somewhere between 5-8 years of real solid productive training. I am now just beginning my Olympic Style Weightlifting journey.
Years involved in weightlifting: read above
Athletic achievements: none really other than winning a few base powerlifting meets.
Role in weightlifting: Beginner athlete
Coaching/educational credentials: none
Favorite weightlifter: I like watching them all
Interests other than weightlifting: Cooking, eating, Marine Corps, my dogs, reading and The Sheild!
Other information you would like to share: married and first baby on the way!