Carissa Gordon

Website: http://www.usaweightlifting.org/gordon.html
Email: xena58kg@aol.com
Birthdate: 8/24/83
Hometown: I am from Essex, Vermont, currently living in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center.

Height: 5'1"
Weight: 135

Clean and Jerk: 253 lbs.
Power Clean: 2 x 210 lbs.
Snatch: 193 lbs.
Power Snatch: 1 x 164 lbs.
Back Squat: 330 lbs.
Front Squat: 286 lbs.
Military press: 4 x 110 lbs.
Push Press: 3 x 186 lbs.

Job/School: "I'm an athlete and I train at the USA Weightlifting National Office; for school, I go to Pikes Peak Community College Majoring in Business Management and Customer Service."

Hobbies/Interests: " Spending time with my friends and teammates, watching Hockey (inline or ice), going out to eat, traveling and going the mountains"

Favorite Movies/TV Shows: Fight Club, The Sweetest Thing, Blind Date and Elimidate

Favorite Music: John Mayer, ac/dc, Dave Matthews Band, Dixie Chicks, Jimi Hendrix, Pink, Norah Jones.

Athletic Background: "As a kid, I do recall being teased when I was younger for having skinny little bird legs. My sister would say they looked like twigs. I had no sort of athletic background other than being in tumbling because I was a bundle of energy; I was basically put in that to keep both my parents sanity. Olympic Style Weightlifting is the only real athletic thing I have ever done!

"When I was in 6th grade, my gym teacher Chris Polakowski (who was also the Team Vermont Weightlifting Head Coach) approached me about trying Olympic Style Weightlifting. I went to into the gym 2 times and decided it wasn't for me because it was a room full of boys.

"My mom started working at the same school I went to when I was in 8th grade. Chris talked with my mom and told her, "I can make your daughter a national level athlete in 2 months." Well, he did. I qualified for my first National Junior Championships where I placed 2nd in my weight class. I continued lifting throughout high school and graduated early in order to take up a residency at the U.S. Olympic Training Center where I still reside today.

"I have been training for 6 1/2 years. I currently hold 6 American records and am ranked #2 in the country for Juniors (17-20 years old), and #3 in the country for Seniors (20-35 years old) ranking behind Olympic Bronze Medallist Cheryl Haworth, and Olympic Gold Medallist Tara Nott."

On the impact lifting has had on her: "I believe that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing in life. I started lifting when I was 13, which is a very unsure age having just begun the teenage years. Luckily, I was surrounded by great people including my coach, my teammates, and my family. They have all had an impact of the person that I am today. They have all taught me many lessons, but the most important on is that hard work, effort, dedication and belief can get you anything in life you desire, as long as you are persistent in what you are trying to achieve. "

On her motivation as an athlete: "What motivates me and keeps me going day by day is the image of walking into an arena representing the United States of America at an Olympic Games."

On people's reaction to her muscular physique: "It varies, sometimes you may get the reaction of "wow you've got great legs" to "your legs shouldn't look like that, no woman should have legs like that." I have had my share of compliments and insults over the years, high school was definitely an experience! Walking down the beach is an interesting thing to do. This summer my best friend and I went to the beach and were walking along the shoreline and she says to me, 'If one more person stares at you I am going to stop and yell at them, your a Weightlifter they need to stop glaring!' I definitely notice when someone is staring, I'm not blind."

On doing her part to win the battle of the sexes: "One time back at home I was challenged by a guy probably in 10th grade of so in a squat contest......he thought he could beat me, guess again. "

On her future goals: "My goals include one day being able to call myself an Olympian, and lifting to my highest potential so I won't look back and say that I wish I had done something different. I would also like to possibly pursue bodybuilding some day."