Member Spotlight: Sydney’s weightlifting journey

The right recommendation, the right introduction, and the right tribe can change your life.
That’s what happened to Sydney! Sydney’s CrossFit journey was really the gateway to something more.

Sydney

Sydney at her first meet

Q: How did you get started at CrossFit 1904?

A: I initially tried out CF 1904 during a Bring a Friend Week back in 2024 (thank you, Amanda!) and remember enjoying the workouts. After a few months of having an frustratingly inconsistent workout schedule, I decided to officially join 1904 in April of 2025! My goal in joining was to have a more consistent exercise schedule and to improve my health and fitness. The community in 1904 made it really easy to stay committed, and I’ve improved my health to a point where I can now afford to focus on performance goals, specifically with olympic weightlifting.

Q: What got you interested in Olympic Lifting in the first place?

A: One of the first few Saturday Barbell Classes I attended had max attempts for clean and jerks programmed, where I partnered with (and met for the first time) Habibi Sarah! She was so good at lifting, and combined with how supportive and encouraging she was, I was instantly motivated to want to improve in the olympic lifts. I’ve been hooked ever since, and one of the greatest gifts has been the genuine friendships I’ve built with Habibi Sarah and Morgan! I really miss Habibi Sarah being at CrossFit 1904.

Q: What are your favorite things about Olympic Lifting?

A: Split jerks. Just kidding (no i’m not). The part I really enjoy about olympic weightlifting is that you know you’re only going to get better with time. Some training days may not go 100% to plan, but at least you’re 1% better for showing up and training. Those %’s will add up quickly before you know it, and you’ll be a much better lifter than you did 6 months ago. Seriously, comparing my old lifting videos from last year to today is like night and day. It just makes me more excited to see where I’ll be 6 months from today!

Sydney hitting a PR clean!

Q: If you could tell something to a totally new person in the sport, what would you tell them?

A: Expect to have highs and lows, that’s just the nature of a heavily technical sport. You’ll have days where you’ve slept the recommended 8 hours all week, you’re well-hydrated and fueled, but you’ll have the worst day with your technique or the bar just feels heavy. Sometimes this can last a day or a week or more, but keeping in mind that this is just a phase that you will get through and come out stronger will have the greatest impact on your mental and physical strength. 

Q: How has working with a dedicated coach improved your experience as an oly lifter?

A: I’ve seen a lot more progress in my strength and technique since working with a coach! I’ve gained over 18kg total in both of my lifts since starting under Coach Vince 8 months ago, made massive improvements in my technique, and gained a lot more confidence under the bar. I’ve also been fortunate to become part of the barbell community, which is full of supportive, passionate, and incredibly strong lifters. Having a knowledgeable coach and a strong community has kept me committed to the process and motivates me to show up and push harder each session.

Q: Why should people have Vince as their olympic lifting coach?

A: #1 reason is because he’s a fun coach to have! No matter how frustrating of a lifting day it is, you’ll always have fun when he’s around. He brings years of experience and knowledge, and has an incredible ability to notice the smallest details in a lift and quickly identify what’s causing the problem. After each session, he always comes back with a plan to correct the root issue. All of the adjustments he’s had me make over the past 8 months has built towards long-term improvement in the sport, rather than just providing a temporary fix.

Sydney training and Roy being… Roy

Q: What would you tell a new person about your experience with a coach? Has it made a difference for you? How so?

A: I would tell a new person to get started with a coach as soon as possible. Honestly, I wish I had started a lot sooner! Olympic Weightlifting is like learning a new language, where your body has to adapt to positions that can feel awkward or uncomfortable, and to add on to the difficulty,  there’s a lot of specific terminology with the sport, as well. In my experience, the sooner I understood the essential positions and the language, the faster I progressed. When you add on having a dedicated coach to that, that trajectory is MUCH faster.

“Olympic weightlifting is incredibly empowering! Lifting a heavy barbell overhead and standing up a weight you once thought was impossible is such a powerful feeling. One of the things I love most about the sport is how powerful it makes me feel, even on the bad days. It’s a real sense of accomplishment when you get closer to mastering a technical lift and build strength through steady, consistent effort. This process hasn’t just added numbers to my lifts, but it's built confidence, resilience, and a deeper appreciation of what my body is capable of. I would encourage anyone to join CrossFit 1904 and try out olympic weightlifting, and I hope more people discover the same sense of strength and empowerment that this sport has given me.”
-Sydney

Vince

Olympic Weightlifting is a very tough sport and very unforgiving if you don't approach the lifts correctly, but that's what I love most about coaching. I coach because I'm just tired of seeing everyone pull with their arms too early hahaha. In all seriousness, I just love helping people hit PRs and be their strongest self.

I love helping people understand the intricacies of all the different positions and how they all work together to make a good lift. When I work with an athlete and they are really intentional in putting everything together it's almost like a work of art seeing the before and after differences. 

I've been working with Sydney for almost a year now and she is a fantastic athlete. She came very eager to learn and with a huge drive to succeed. We learned quickly that she is very receptive to coaching and can incorporate new cues quickly. She is an intentional lifter incorporating the day's focus on every lift. A testament to her dedication is how great her technique is now in such a short period of time.

If you want to be proficient in the sport and have a good time doing it - I'm your guy. Come see me at the gym. I’m here 4 nights a week and Saturday mornings.