Jess is an 8 time national medallist in Olympic Weightlifting who recently won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games last year in Birmingham. She has a rather successful sporting history previously competing at international level in both Acrobatic Gymnastics and Judo.
She has set her sights on competing at the next Olympic Games to be held next Summer in Paris. She has just come back from competing at the European Championships where she placed 6th in a very competitive field.
We asked her some questions about her training and how she feels in the lead up to the World Championships in September, the next Olympic Qualification event.
How has your training been going so far this year?
Training in 2023 has been pretty decent to be fair. I’ve made some changes to my diet which has allowed me to increase my training capacity from 4 to 5 sessions a week. I’ve also been taking recovery seriously too and it’s made a huge difference to how I feel during my heavy sessions. I’m excited to build on my confidence in my lifts in the run up to the World Championships in September. I can already feel a difference in how I compete compared to last year. I feel more prepared and more confident in my abilities whilst competing and training the last few months!
What are your heaviest lifts that you have done in training in 2023?
At 59kg bodyweight
- 120kg jerk
- 93kg snatch
- 112kg clean and jerk although I've cleaned 115 a few times but keep missing the jerk.…
My goal is to clean and jerk double body weight this year in competition and snatch 97kg
Have I had any injuries recently?
No injuries, just a few niggles here and there. I’ve been making some decent progress with my back since I hurt it back in august after the Games, but the rehab I have been doing has made it even stronger than it was before I hurt it, which I think has helped me overall with my lifting.
What has been your main focus for the last block of training?
My main focus has been nailing the consistency in my lifts and getting the technique spot on every time. That's what is going to make the most difference in the long run. I’m still very much working on this as I have a lot to work on in this department, but my lifts are feeling more crisp and accurate than they have in the past. It's a work in progress for sure.
I’ve also been working on the mental side of training and I feel that it’s really paid off. I’m in a much better head space than I was at the worlds in December. I have been reading a few books that really put into perspective how much the mental side of training can really make a difference in elite performance. I very much recommend reading “How bad do you want it” by Matt Fitzgerald.
What are your goals for the future now that you have medalled at the Commonwealth Games?
My main goal is to qualify for the Olympics and represent Team GB. I have wanted to have the honour of being on the biggest sporting stage my whole life and I think I have finally found the right sport for me to achieve this. I am excited for my future career as a weightlifter.
I would also love to medal at the World Championships and become European and Commonwealth Champion! But most of all I want to cherish the time that I have doing weightlifting and the opportunities it has given me. I want to make more memories just like last summer at the Commonwealth Games.